


Pulse

by Edelgard



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Awkward Romance, Character Turned Into Vampire, F/F, MekaMechanic, Vampire Turning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-21 23:29:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14924948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edelgard/pseuds/Edelgard
Summary: Hana Song was as brave a soldier as she was a foolish girl. When faced with a fateful encounter, what will she do when her life is drastically changed forever?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and welcome to my first fanfic! I really wrote this on a whim, but I did try my best haha. Depending on the feedback on this first chapter, I'll write some more! Thank you for stopping by.

Hana wiped the sweat dripping onto her brow and took a deep breath, all while the world around her became a burning hellfire of smoke and gunpowder.

 

She was a soldier of paramount status, a member of Korea’s finest platoon of MEKA pilots. With a hefty amount of accolades under her belt, it came as no surprise that the newly reformed Overwatch would enlist in her services. Hana was more than honored when she received the invitation–she was ecstatic. To serve with such distinguished soldiers, to be able to bring about peace on a larger, worldwide scale–it was all she could have ever hoped for when she first signed up for the MEKA program.

 

But being a member of Overwatch would prove to be a challenge.

 

“ _Shi-bal_!” Hana cursed as a bombshell exploded against her mech, the impact rocking her jarringly from side-to-side within the safety of her cockpit. What should have been a simple extraction mission of–what Winston described as–a precious artifact in Ilios quickly spiraled into a gunfight between Overwatch and their most intimate enemy, Talon. Hana didn’t know much about the enigmatic organization besides the fact that they were absolute scum; at least, that’s what Lena never failed to remind her of whenever they hung out together in-between missions.

 

 _They’re absolutely awful, the whole lot of them_ , she had said. The vehemence in her voice whenever Talon was brought up always made Hana shiver a little. She sympathized with Lena, a young woman who vied for peace as strongly as she did for social justice. She knew Tekhartha Mondatta was important to her and that Widowmaker was the one who murdered him. Lena would never forgive Talon for that, and by being her friend, Hana knew she couldn’t either.

 

Hana activated her defense matrix right as a torrent of projectiles came at her like frenzied piranhas looking for a neon pink meal. Her poor mech was getting tossed around like a children’s play toy, but at least the battle was going in Overwatch’s favor. The artifact was safely extracted and Talon’s forces were diminishing by the minute. She’d be surprised if the terrorist organization didn’t retreat at this point.

 

“Take this!” She yelled, blasting dozens of micro missiles at the troop of Talon soldiers that had ambushed her, subduing them almost instantly. Some of those who had avoided the missile rain tried to escape, but with a few toggles of her fusion cannons, they too were silenced. Hana tightened her grip on her joysticks as she turned away from the bodies of the deceased to regroup with her team. She was not in the wrong for what she had done. She had delivered justice for those who were wronged by these criminals. She had saved herself, nothing more.

 

While flying back to her team, Hana’s comm buzzed in her ear, an accented female voice coming over the line. “ _D.Va, are you okay_?”

 

“I’m alright, Brigitte, nothing to worry about!” Hana replied. She had ended up a ways away from the main group, the firefight between both forces carrying her deep into the Ilios ruins and Talon territory. The moon sat calmly in the inky blackness of the night sky, lighting her retreat. The sounds of guns going off were still present, but they weren’t as hectic as they were before. Hana flew around a corner of the maze, then sighed and turned back when she realized it was a dead-end.

 

“ _Are you sure?_ ” Brigitte asked, worry imminent in her tone. “ _Do you need help getting back? I can come for you if you want..._ ”

 

Hana sighed, rolling her eyes. “Brigitte, I’m not a baby, okay? I can get back on my own just fine. Besides, the fight’s pretty much over, anyway.”

 

“ _But still–_ ” A thunderclap cut through the calming stillness of the night–no, a deafening gunshot. Hana stopped dead in her tracks, swiftly scanning her surroundings. High above her, outlined by the moon, a lone figure stood perched on the rocky outcropping of some ruins. Even from Hana’s point-of-view, the long, sinuous legs, flowy ponytail, and the red-eyed visor could only belong to one person.

 

“Widowmaker…” Hana all but growled, the thought of retreating immediately forgotten. The blue-skinned woman trained her sniper rifle onto Hana’s head, which was protected by the mech’s durable windshield. _Bang_. The force of the bullet shook the mech tremendously, but that didn’t deter the young girl. Kicking into gear, she flew her mech into the sky and towards Talon’s top assassin.

 

“ _Hana! What are you doing!?”_ Brigitte screamed into her ear, but Hana paid her no mind. Landing on the rock surface Widowmaker was perched on, Hana let loose with her fusion cannons. To the assassin’s credit, she avoided each blast as if they were but puffs of air blowing in her direction, completely harmless. Widowmaker flipped, ducked, and spun out of the range of Hana’s weapons with inhumane speed, smirking at the younger girl. Hana grit her teeth, her brows furrowing in concentration as her bullets failed to hit their mark.

 

“ _Please, Hana, don’t do this! Come back to us!_ ”

 

“No!” Hana yelled back, raising her defense matrix just as Widowmaker began to shoot at her. “This is my chance to take this _nyeon_ down!” Seeing as her cannons were most effective at close-range, the younger girl charged at the assassin, prompting Widowmaker to jump off the platform and retreat back into the ruins.

 

“You won’t get away that easily!”

 

And with that, the MEKA pilot followed the Talon assassin deeper into the darkness.

* * *

Outside the ruins, the rest of the Overwatch team awaited the arrival of the extraction ship, bloodied and bruised but none the worse for wear. Brigitte listened intently to her comm, but it seemed that her Korean comrade was either openly ignoring her or had ripped out her comm from her ear. Sighing, Brigitte picked up her mace and made her way to the entrance of the ruins.

 

“Yo, Brigitte, where’re you going?” Lúcio asked, wrapping a bandage around Reinhardt’s bleeding bicep. Everyone turned to look at her.

 

“It’s Ha–I mean, D.Va,” Brigitte replied. “She said she was on her way back but I’m worried something might’ve happened to her. I’m going to go find her.”

 

“Then I’m going, too!” Lúcio patted the bandage now tightly woven around Reinhardt’s arm and stood up. “I care about Hana just as much as you do.” Brigitte unconsciously blushed at the latter statement, eliciting a grin from the DJ.

 

“So am I!” Lena also got up, her jumpsuit torn and bloody in some places but the energy in her eyes ever present. “Let’s go help our girl!”

* * *

 

Hana tread carefully through the ancient Ilios ruins, every sense primed for the unexpected. She was in enemy territory again, a fact that gave her much trepidation and increased her anxiousness. She had fallen hook, line, and sinker for the blue-skinned woman’s ploy, and now she was low on fuel and couldn’t fly back to the Overwatch team. Long story short, she was a big pink sitting duck.

 

 _I’m so stupid,_ Hana thought, slowly making her way around the maze. Some passages were familiar while others were dead-ends. The night was nearly silent now, save for the sounds of the ocean below the cliffside and the audible crunches of her mech’s footprints in the dirt. It seemed as though Talon had made a complete retreat. Her comm buzzed to life in her ear after some time. “ _D.Va, status report!_ ” It was Jack.

 

She raised a shaking hand to her comm. “M-my fuel tank is nearly depleted, sir, so I can’t fly back. I was trying to capture Widowmaker but got lost in the ruins. I’m sorry.”

 

Jack sighed angrily on the other end. “ _Urgh, you idiot. Just try and make your way towards the extraction point as quickly as you can. Brigitte, Lúcio, and Tracer are all en-route to meet you halfway.”_

 

Hana smiled, a wave of relief washing over her. _Thank God._ Hana felt better knowing that her friends were on their way to help her. _I’m going to have to apologize to everyone once I’m outta this freakin’ maze–_ Suddenly, her mech sputtered to a stop, refusing to take another step in the dust-covered maze. The lights within cut off like a dying light bulb, giving way to complete darkness. The entire weapons and AI system also shut down. Her once precious mech was rendered totally useless in a matter of seconds. Hana went into a panic, flipping switches, pulling levers, trying anything that would breathe life back into her last line of defense against the night. Taking pity on her plight, the clouds overhead parted for the moon’s rays, which cast a luminescent spotlight upon her.

 

“Are you kidding me…!? Come on, you dumb machine, _work_ …!” Hana cried, banging her fists on the dashboard. As if on cue, the mech’s system seemingly sprung back to life. But instead of the green-colored interface she was so used to, what Hana saw was a glowing purple skull. “Wah…?”

 

“ _Hack complete,_ ” a voice so unlike her system’s AI said to her. “ _Ejecting passenger._ ”

 

Before Hana could even blink, the ceiling of her mech popped open and she was ejected into the air. Now, Hana was an expert at landing on her feet after ejecting from her mech, what with all the self-destructs she had a tendency to do. This time, however, she fell to the earth and gracelessly rolled along the ground, scraping and bruising herself innumerably in the process. “Urgh…” Hana groaned, slowly pushing herself up.

 

Someone chuckled. “Wow, chica, that’s one way to stick a landing. And here I thought you were some kind of prodigy.” Hana looked up into the face of a woman who wore a lighthearted smirk on her face. Her clothes were a weird hodgepodge of a trench coat, parka, and a horribly colored jumpsuit. Her haircut was even more eccentric, with locks of dyed hair falling lazily over a naked, shaved scalp.

 

Hana pulled her small pistol from the holster at her hip and trained it at the strange woman’s face. But before she could even pull the trigger, the gun was kicked out of her hand. Hana let out a cry when she felt her arm get twisted painfully behind her back.

 

“Now, now, chérie, it’s best you stand down,” the cool and calculated voice of Widowmaker commanded, keeping Hana’s arm held firmly behind her. The eccentric woman picked up the little pink gun, looked at it with mild interest, and tossed it lazily behind her. Hana continued to struggle despite the futility of the situation. “Let me go, you _nyeons_!”

 

“No can do, mi coneja,” said the eccentric woman, wagging her finger at Hana as if she were a disobedient child. “Our orders were to capture you alive. Thanks in no part to my friend, Widow, here.”

 

“Children are so easily riled it makes me laugh.” Hana could almost taste the sadistic mirth in the blue-skinned woman’s voice and it only made her angrier.

 

“So what are you gonna do to me, then? Torture me for information? Use me for ransom? I’m not scared of either of you!” The last part was partly a lie; Hana was absolutely terrified, but she’d be damned if she admitted it to them.

 

“Nothing of the sort,” a third voice replied. A tall, gaunt figure materialized out of the darkness, and Hana couldn’t help but jump back at the stranger’s sudden entrance. It was as if the shadows themselves cast her into being. Hana noted the woman’s all-around long and thin physique, her bright shock of orange hair, sharp face, and a mysterious outfit that looked downright ridiculous. _I swear, Talon has the weirdest taste in fashion_ , Hana thought, remembering what Widowmaker’s outfit looked like as well.

 

The new woman approached them with a poised stride, exuding more power and authority–Hana noted–than anything Jack or Winston could ever hope to accomplish. Widowmaker’s eyebrows furrowed but she made no remark, while the eccentric woman took on a more serious demeanor.

 

“Good work, Sombra, as well as to you, Lacroix,” the woman said nonchalantly, stopping in front of the young girl. Hana grit her teeth as Widowmaker forced her to straighten up. The orange-haired woman hooked her fingers delicately beneath Hana’s chin and lifted her head to stare into her eyes. At this distance, Hana realized that this mystery woman had mismatched colored eyes: one a shade of the deepest depths of the ocean and the other the color of a vibrant rose. The woman’s gaze was, in a way, mesmerizing to Hana, it’s sheer intensity belying no means of turning away. Hana did her best to not falter before this mysterious woman, steeling herself and challenging her with her own confident gaze. They continued this game for a few moments until the orange-haired woman smiled, seemingly pleased as she pulled away and resumed her towering posture.

 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Song,” the woman did a small bow. “My name is Moira O’Deorain. I’m sure you’re well acquainted with my colleagues here, Sombra and–ah–Widowmaker?”

 

“I’m more than acquainted,” Hana spat indignantly, her arm throbbing now that it’s been twisted for a few minutes. She could feel her knees chafe against the rough, rocky ground. “Just hurry up and tell me what you want from me!”

 

Moira chuckled. “I’ve been watching you for quite some time, Miss Song. Or should I call you Hana? All my life, I have tried to unlock the true potential of humanity. I thought it was possible through science. My desire to fulfill my goal has taken me all over the world, where I have conducted clandestine research and experimentation for decades. It wasn’t until I published my paper that my answer came to me one dreary night.” It was then that Moira smiled widely, exposing a row of glistening white teeth. “Immortality.”

 

Hana blinked. “Immor–what? You’re kidding right?” Hana felt like laughing at this crazy scientist! But Moira kept her eyes trained on her, her gaze piercing and predatorial. “Tell me, Hana, do you believe in vampires?”

 

The young Korean snorted. “You’re one crazy _ajumma_. Vampires? Are you screwing with me right now? Stop messing around!” Suddenly, she felt lengthy fingers wrap around her throat, lifting her up into the air. “Urgk!” Hana felt her eyes bulge and her airways constrict as the pressure around her neck tightened.

 

“Moira, stop!” Sombra yelled out, grabbing onto the older woman’s arm as Moira choked the younger girl with the other. On Moira’s cue, Widowmaker grabbed Sombra and held her back, preventing her from intervening.

 

“Let me show you what I mean,” Moira said, her face cast fully in the moonlight. Hana could see that her eyes, previously heterochromatic, were now both glowing red. Hana felt an inexplicable chill run throughout her body. Lowering Hana onto her feet, Moira used her sharp fingernails to cut into the girl’s jumpsuit, tearing the fabric and exposing the pale expanse of her shoulder. “Wha–what are you doing?!” Her protests were cut short when she felt two sharp points dig into her naked skin, inflicting a white-hot pain so discomforting she cried out. “A-ah!”

 

The MEKA pilot had no idea what was going on, except that she started to feel inexplicably sick. Beyond the realm of pain, Hana felt an uncomfortable pressure along the side of her neck, as if she was being pinched by a large clip at the same time as being stabbed by needles. “ _W-what’s happening...?_ ” Hana weakly turned her head to look at the scientist’s face. The tall woman had her eyes closed in contentment, her throat working feverishly against the younger girl’s neck. Deprived of any more strength, Hana felt her knees crumble beneath her as the world around her started to blur. Moira followed her descent, wrapping her in an even tighter embrace. Just when Hana thought she would pass out, Moira dislodged herself from the smaller girl’s throat, letting out a sigh of euphoria. Hana fell forward onto her forearms, her breath coming out in shuddering gasps. “ _Hah…hah…_ ” Her neck throbbed and her naked shoulder felt hot and wet, rivulets of blood cascading down her skin and staining the top of her jumpsuit.

 

Moira hummed in satisfaction, wiping the excess blood from her mouth and licking it with her finger. “Ah… I haven’t had such exquisite blood in _years_.” She turned her attention towards the two women behind her. “Would you two like a sip?” Both Sombra and Widowmaker’s eyes glowed red.

 

“No way in hell…!” Sombra yelled, trying to keep her hunger in check as she moved over to help the young girl. Ripping off a piece of her coat, the Mexican woman began dabbing gently at the wound Moira had inflicted. “Stay with me, coneja!”

 

Widowmaker licked her fangs but shook her head. “She’d die if I drank from her now,” she stated matter-of-factly.

 

Moira smirked. “If I had known any better, I’d think that you cared for her life.”

 

“You said you wanted her alive,” Widowmaker replied, watching Sombra fuss over the nearly unconscious pilot.

 

“That I do,” Moira reaffirmed. Somewhere close by, shouts could be heard.

 

“ _Hanaaaaa! Where are you!_ ” Moira and Widowmaker both scoffed in turn. “Overwatch.”

 

Sombra sighed in relief, hoping that Hana’s friends would make it in time to save her from a despondent fate. “Are we gonna retreat?”

 

“We will. But first…” Moira teleported next to Hana, kneeling beside the younger girl at the same time as she bit roughly into her own wrist. Before she could move any further, Sombra grabbed Moira’s wrist and held it away from the unconscious girl’s face.

 

“You can’t do this...” Sombra hissed, grabbing Moira by the collar. “If I knew this is what you wanted, I would’ve never helped you tonight! What you’re doing...it’ll ruin her!” The hacker cursed when she felt Widowmaker slam her into the wall, away from the scientist and her newfound pet.

 

“ _Move_ , Amélie!” Sombra yelled, trying to push past the stronger vampire. “She’s just a kid!”

 

“I have to follow orders,” Widowmaker replied, her eyes devoid of any emotion, any sympathy.

 

Moira turned her attention back to the girl lying at her feet. Hana’s eyes were half-lidded and unseeing, the wound in her neck bleeding profusely as her breathing faltered. Kneeling beside her once again, Moira pried open Hana’s mouth and held her upturned wrist above it, watching as her blood began to pool atop her skin.

 

“This is the beginning of your glorious rebirth, Hana,” Moira smiled. “I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you.” The scientist tilted her wrist and watched as her blood dripped into the injured girl’s mouth.

 

Eyes widening, Hana screamed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana wakes up a few days after the Ilios mission and starts to feel a bit strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to give a shout out to all the people who left a comment or kudos on the last chapter! Your support means a lot to me and is also one of the driving forces that motivates me to continue this story. So please, if you'd like for me to write more, your feedback would be much appreciated! 
> 
> And if you're wondering why the update is so fast this time, it's mainly because my account got activated literally two days ago and so I uploaded chapter one really late haha. Expect a more typical update schedule in the coming weeks.

_Hana felt like a bird, a bird who could no longer fly in the big open sky and was now plummeting towards an imminent death. A bird whose wings were shackled, crippled, and damaged beyond repair. She felt rough gusts of wind blow against her, rousing her from her dazed stupor. Opening her eyes, she realized that she was not a flightless bird falling through the sky. She found that she was surrounded by red._

 

_Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum._

 

_The red walls encompassing her seemed to be in a motion separate from Hana’s own, gyrating like a turbulent stream on a tempestuous night as they flowed downwards. Feeling herself accelerate as she continued her descent, Hana turned her head to look beneath her, only to be greeted by the darkest, blackest chasm she had ever seen in her life._

 

_Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum._

 

_Hana realized that she was quickly falling towards that soulless pit, which was greedily swallowing up the crimson rivers that were surrounding her like delectable ambrosia. Panicking, she flailed madly in the air and tried to find purchase against one of the walls. When her body hit the wall’s watery surface, she felt a warm, viscous substance cover her like a blanket, painting her whole body red._

 

_Ba-dum, ba-dum._

 

_“Please…come…back…”_

 

_Ba-dum._

 

_“...with…me…”_

 

_Ba-dum._

 

_“...orders…”_

 

_Ba-dum._

 

_“Rebirth.”_

 

_As Hana got closer to the bottomless chasm, she saw a pair of heterochromatic eyes staring up at her just as a cruel, callous laugh resonated in her head. Failing to let out a scream, she was swallowed up by the darkness._

* * *

“AH!” Hana lurched up from the bed in a cold sweat. Wrapping her trembling arms around herself, she tried to control her labored breathing as memories of her frightful nightmare lingered. She felt her hospital gown stick to the clammy surface of her skin and the discomforting feeling of heavy bandages woven securely around her neck. As she took a few moments to calm her pulsating heart, Hana slowly scanned her surroundings. She was in the med bay back at the Watchpoint in a bed adjacent to the window, providing her a beautiful view of the moon reflecting off of the Mediterranean Sea. The curtains were drawn around her bed to provide her some privacy.

 

Hana groaned, wringing a hand through her hair as her head throbbed. “Why...am I here?”

 

Looking at her bedside table, she saw an analog clock–which told her that it was 10 PM–a plate of donuts, and a small cat plushy holding a small note. Hana felt the strain in her weakened muscles as she reached over to grab the note. As she began to read it, the cat plushy slowly crumpled forward until its head rested atop its legs.

 

The note said: “ _Dear Hana, how are you? I hope you’re doing okay. Everyone here is really worried about you–even Jack can’t seem to stop pacing. The base has gone quiet ever since you went to sleep, but Angela told me that you should be waking up soon. You’re probably going to be hungry when that happens, so I baked you these donuts to help cheer you up! I tried really hard to make them just as good as my mom’s. Enjoy, and make sure to get a lot of rest! – Brigitte”_

 

Hana felt a feeling of affection and longing fill up her chest. “ _Brigitte is so sweet,_ ” she thought, grabbing a chocolate-covered donut from the pile. Moonlight bounced off of its sugary glaze to give it a glass-like look. The young girl took a tiny bite and realized she could not stomach any more. “ _I don’t feel very hungry…_ ” She dejectedly returned the donut to its rightful place at the top of the pile.

 

Up above her, the ceiling lights suddenly turned on and chased away the darkness that was encasing her. Hana involuntarily cringed away from the light, shielding her eyes as she fell back against the bed. The curtains quickly opened.

 

“Hana, you’re awake!” Angela Ziegler smiled in relief as she approached the Korean girl’s bed but immediately frowned upon noticing Hana’s discomfort. “Are you alright?”

 

“T-The lights…!” Hana muttered, turning onto her side and burying her face into her pillow. “They’re too bright…!”

 

Angela swiftly turned the lights down to their lowest brightness and returned to Hana’s side. The adjustment seemed to do its job, as the younger girl finally stopped squirming and let out a sigh of relief.

 

“I’m terribly sorry, Hana,” Angela said, sitting down on a chair next to the bed. “I should’ve realized that your eyes needed to adjust to the change in brightness.”

 

“I-It’s okay,” Hana replied, shakily sitting up in her bed. Her muscles felt worn-out and weak. The doctor must have seen how sickly she looked as she gave Hana a look of concern.

 

“It seems that your recovery is far from complete,” she remarked, making a note on the clipboard she had brought with her. “You’re as pale as a ghost and sweating buckets!”

 

Hana wiped at the sweat sitting on her brow. “How long was I out for?”

 

“A little over a week,” Angela replied, gently placing her hand along Hana’s forehead. “Mm, you don’t have a fever… did you perhaps have a bad dream?”

 

Hana slowly nodded. She thought about those strange eyes she saw in her dream and suppressed a shiver. “Yeah… but it’s no big deal.” She trusted the doctor, but she didn’t want to worry her any more than she already had.

 

Angela gently took a hold of Hana’s hand. “Hana, I’m here for you, as I am with everyone on this base. If you ever want to talk about anything, please feel free to let me know.” The amount of compassion and love behind those words made Hana feel like crying. She had never received such boundless concern, not even from her own parents.

 

“Thanks, Angie,” she replied, mustering up a bright smile. “I appreciate it.”

 

After conducting a few minor check-ups, the doctor patted Hana’s shoulder and stood up. “Well, I should let you get some more rest. I’m sure you’ll get plenty of visitors once everyone learns that you’re awake.” Angela let out a small, pleasant laugh when she thought about the ensuing ruckus that would take place. “We’ll run a few tests tomorrow to see how you’re doing.”

 

As the doctor turned to leave, Hana noticed something strange. Rather, she smelt something strange. A mysterious aroma wafted through the air, stirring something within Hana that she couldn’t identify. “ _What is that smell?_ ” She thought, sniffing the air to try and scope out the source. Nothing in the room really warranted giving off such a strong scent, except maybe Brigitte’s donuts. Hana shook her head. “ _I’m just imagining things._ ” She cleared her throat and noticed how dry and hoarse it felt. It felt painful.

 

“Hey, Angie?” Hana called, prompting the woman to turn around. “C-Could you get me some water? I’m really thirsty.”

* * *

Long after the doctor had retired that night, Hana realized that she could not fall back to sleep. Although she had tried to clear her mind and focus on her breathing, nothing seemed to bring her back to the land of dreams. It was as if her fatigue disappeared. Sighing, Hana sat up and scratched her head. Her throat panged in mild discomfort.

 

Checking the clock once more, she learned that it was 1 AM. Angela was probably sound asleep at this point, but she really wanted some more water. If she could recall, she was sure that the kitchen was somewhere close by.

 

Hana pushed back the dense sheets that were covering her and scooted over to the foot of the bed. She noticed a pair of fluffy slippers laying on the floor and slid them on without a fuss. Carefully, Hana tried to stand up on shaky legs that had not moved in over a week, nearly falling over if she didn’t reflexively grab on to the side table. Panting, she waited for the numbness in her legs to subside.

 

The young girl slowly peeked her head through the entrance of the infirmary. The base was cast in an eerie darkness, the only source of light coming from a few fluorescent lights running along the floor. Hana carefully trudged down the vast hallway towards the kitchen, passing various rooms where other agents were sleeping peacefully. She suppressed a giggle when she moved past Jesse’s room, the man’s tremorous snores reminding her of a loud car engine kicking into gear.

 

When she finally reached the kitchen, Hana grabbed a large cup from the overhead cupboard and filled it entirely with water. She didn’t know what came over her, but the glass was emptied in a matter of seconds. The young girl thought that that simple act would’ve been enough to alleviate her discomfort, but to her surprise, she found that her throat still throbbed incessantly. Hana refilled the cup and emptied it again.

 

After drinking enough water to last her two days, Hana sighed and turned back towards the infirmary. Her throat remained relatively unchanged. “ _I must be really sick or something,_ ” Hana mused, retracing her steps back through the dim hallway.

 

Halfway through her small journey, Hana sniffed the air. The mysterious aroma she had noticed in the infirmary was back again, except this time the scent was much stronger. The young girl stopped moving and looked around, determined to pinpoint where exactly the smell was coming from. Following her nose, Hana took a few short steps towards one of the bedrooms she had passed previously, the scent seemingly emanating from beyond its closed door. Hana took in a shuddering gasp as the ache in her throat worsened. She gulped unconsciously as a strange feeling overtook her, compelling her to see what was on the other side of this door. In a trance, Hana slowly reached for the doorknob.

 

_Ba-dum._

 

“Who’s there?” A voice asked calmly from within the room. Hana snapped out of her reverie with a jolt. The door quietly opened, revealing a tall woman dressed in an elegant sleeping gown. Hana inclined her head upwards to see that it was Symmetra.

 

Symmetra–or rather Satya–could not stop the surprise from taking over her face. “Oh, Miss Song! I was not expecting _you_ to be the one loitering around my room at this hour.” The Indian woman stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. “I am glad to see you are awake and well, but why are you out of bed?”

 

Hana let out a nervous chuckle. “Haha, sorry about that, Satya,” she replied, scratching her chin sheepishly. “I was just getting some water from the kitchen, but I’ll be going back to the infirmary, don’t worry!” The younger girl sent the taller woman a smile. “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

 

Before she could turn away, she felt long, slender fingers wrap around her bicep, keeping her in place. Hana turned her attention back towards the older woman, who was staring at her with an unusual expression. “S-Satya?” Hana asked tentatively. The architect studied her face with the same amount of fastidiousness she afforded her crafted hard-light constructs. Even in the dark, Hana could make out Satya’s hyper-focused stare, furrowed eyebrows, and small frown curled in concern. The younger girl felt her palms start to sweat.

 

“Uh, Satya? Y-You’re scaring me,” Hana muttered, hoping the older woman had heard her. Satya blinked twice and let go of Hana’s arm, eliciting a relieved sigh from the gamer. The architect straightened up, seemingly done with her abrupt diagnosis.

 

“Please excuse my actions, Miss Song,” Satya said, coughing behind a closed fist. “I hope I did not cause you any unnecessary fright.”

 

“That’s okay,” Hana replied, rubbing the spot where Satya had grabbed her. “You didn’t hurt me.”

 

The architect gave her a minuscule smile. “Well, please do get some more rest. You are still recovering from your last mission, after all. I’ll be sure to visit you later today.”

 

Hana brightened up considerably, warming to the Indian woman’s thoughtfulness. “Aw, that’s really sweet! Thanks!” She turned on her heel, but not before she threw the architect one final remark. “And hey, Satya?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Call me Hana, okay?” The gamer flashed Satya her tell-tale grin and a thumbs-up.

 

Satya nodded her assent. “I shall see you later then, Hana.”

 

“Bye!” As Hana walked away, she could’ve sworn she heard the Indian woman mutter under her breath.

 

“It can’t be…”

* * *

Seeing as sleep was impossible for her, Hana spent the remainder of the early morning marathoning a bunch of old movies that Angela made readily available to her patients. She yawned audibly after the fourth cheesy rom-com in a row, rubbing the dryness from her eyes. “I’m sooo bored,” she complained, watching as two burly men laid out the contents of their hearts before a flushed woman who seemed to be at a loss on what to do. The sun was steadily rising over the horizon, signifying a brand new day. Hana skipped through the library of movies in discontent, finding none that seemed to be very interesting. She continued her lazy perusal until she stumbled upon a film titled,  _White Lilies_. The theatrical poster showcased two young women staring deeply into each other’s eyes. “ _Hmm, this could be good,_ ” Hana thought, tentatively pressing play as she settled in against her pillow.

 

Apparently, the movie was bookmarked because it did not start from the beginning. Rather, the time-stamp indicated that Hana was about forty minutes in.

 

“ _A-ah!_ ” The two women from the poster were lying on a large, king-sized bed, the sheets covered in sweat and scattered rose petals. One of the women had her head nestled in between the other’s legs, while the other had her head pulled back as lewd noises escaped her mouth. “ _R-Right there…! Ahn!_ ”

 

Hana felt her face heat up like a boiling pot. She quickly stopped the movie and turned the television off, clutching her chest. “What the fuck!” She yelled, trying to dispel the explicit scene from her mind and calm her racing heart. Whoever was in this bed last apparently didn’t have the decency to delete their bookmark history. Hana raised her hands to her cheeks and felt the warmness of her blush. While she was nineteen, the young gamer didn’t really think about love and sex that much, as she spent much of her teenage life focused on her streaming career and becoming a soldier. She never even had the chance to get into a relationship. Hana bit her thumb as the scene from the movie replayed in her head, imagining herself as the woman gasping and moaning against soft satin pillows, a certain Swedish mechanic working diligently between her thighs… Hana shook her head wildly from side-to-side as a feverish sensation coursed through her.

 

The young girl’s thoughts were interrupted, however, when her curtains flew open for the second time that day. Hana let out a surprised yelp when she felt two warm bodies envelop her. Both Lúcio and Lena wrapped her in a bone-breaking hug.

 

“Hana!” They both exclaimed, releasing the pent-up tears that they had built up ever since Hana was admitted into the med bay. The girl in question could feel her airways constrict.

 

“C-Can’t breathe,” she gasped. Her friends let go of her in embarrassment, chuckling nervously. Hana took in a few gulps of air to resuscitate her lungs.

 

“It’s only been five seconds and already you’re hurting the patient!” Angela scolded, appearing behind the younger adults with her eyebrows furrowed and her hands on her hips. Shyly following the doctor was a tall, strongly built woman with long brunette hair. Hana blushed when she saw Brigitte Lindholm stop at the foot of her bed.

 

“Hana,” Brigitte whispered, a few wayward tears trailing down her cheeks. She gave the younger girl a hug, albeit much gentler than Hana’s more extroverted friends. “I was so worried…”

 

The young girl wrapped her arms around the Swede’s thicker frame and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, no need to cry,” she said, wiping away Brigitte’s tears with her thumb. “I’m fine.”

 

Brigitte separated herself from the embrace so she could hold Hana’s shoulders at arm’s length. “When we found you...we were so scared…” Both Lúcio and Lena glanced at each other.

 

Hana raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

 

Angela summoned her clipboard and pen from the confines of her lab coat. “Do you remember what happened the night of the Ilios mission?”

 

The mission. Is that why she was hospitalized? Hana tried to recollect her memories of that night, but her mind was shrouded in a dense, muddled haze. “The mission…” She started, racking her brain as hard as she could. “All I know is that we were fighting Talon. I...can’t remember anything else beyond that point.”

 

Lena was about to open her mouth, but Angela cut her off with a look. “I see,” the doctor said, making a small note on her clipboard. “You probably lost some of your memories when you lost consciousness,” she mused. “Ah, but there’s no need to worry! If you give it some time, I’m sure they’ll be flooding back to you before you know it.” Angela patted Lena and Lúcio’s shoulders and flashed Brigitte a knowing smile. “I’ll give you three another five minutes in here but then you must leave. I need to run some tests with Hana today, and the sooner I can get started on that, the better.”

 

“Ah, then we’ll get outta your hair, Doc!” Lena said. “We just wanted to drop in and say hi to our favorite bunny!” The pilot grinned and ruffled the top of Hana’s hair, making the younger girl pout sullenly. “Stop that!” She yelled, waving away Lena’s hand like a pestilent fly. Lúcio walked up and handed her a tablet.

 

“Here you go! You’ll find all the latest movies and TV shows on there. I figured you could use some entertainment.” Hana’s eyes lit up when she saw the extensive library of the hottest films that were airing at the moment, a selection far superior to the infirmary’s raunchy playlist.

 

“Oh my God, thank you so much, Lúcio!” She exclaimed happily, giving the DJ a giant hug.

 

After exchanging a few laughs and pleasantries with her friends, both Lena and Lúcio soon exited the room, leaving just Hana, Brigitte, and Angela together. Brigitte lingered awkwardly by Hana’s side but said nothing, choosing to stare pointedly at the cat plushy sitting on the side table. Meanwhile, Hana sat with her hands clasped tightly together above her lap as she stared out the window, a look of embarrassment on her face. Angela sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

 

“ _Young love_ ,” she thought exasperatedly. Angela straightened out her lab coat and turned to leave. “I’ll be right back, Hana. I just need to gather my supplies for your tests.” The doctor only hoped that her absence would help relieve the awkward tension surrounding the two girls as her high heels carried her away.

 

Once Angela had departed, the Swedish engineer cleared her throat. “U-Uhm,” she stammered, her face beginning to flush. “Once you’ve recovered, would you like to maybe...um...go out somewhere?”

 

Hana blinked, her mouth slowly curling upwards. “Are you asking me out...on a date?” She tilted her head playfully to the side, feigning innocence.

 

Brigitte looked wildly around the room as she began to sweat bullets, her face as red as a healthy tomato. “U-Uh…” Taking a moment to calm her nerves in front of her long-time crush, she took in a deep breath to center herself in the moment. This was no time to be afraid. “Yes,” Brigitte said, looking directly into Hana’s eyes. “I’d like to go on a date with you. I-If that’s alright.”

 

The younger girl remained silent for a few moments, making the engineer believe that her courage was all for naught. But instead of the rejection that she was expecting, Hana flashed her a bright smile. “I would love to!” The Korean girl exclaimed, a faint blush accentuating the features of her face in a way that Brigitte found both endearing and ethereal. The engineer couldn’t stop herself from smiling widely.

 

“Great! We’ll think about it more once you’re released. Right now your health is what's most important, so just take it easy, okay? Ah, I’m so excited!” Brigitte was positively beaming now and Hana couldn’t help but giggle at the sudden change in demeanor.

 

_Ba-dum._

 

Hana felt her eyes widen. The peculiar smell had returned, encapsulating her like a thick fog. The young girl felt her chest get heavier as she began to gasp, all while the smell came at her in overwhelming wafts. Hana’s mouth started to water, her throat palpitating like a beating drum. She gripped the bed sheets tightly and closed her eyes to stave away the pain.

 

Brigitte noticed her debilitating state and went into a panic. “Hana? Hana, what’s wrong?” The younger girl panted as she fell back against the bed, shielding her eyes from the overhead lights.

 

“I-I don’t know,” she replied. The side of her neck started to tingle and itch, prompting her to scratch at it with a shaky hand.

 

Brigitte grabbed the bedsheets and tucked Hana in before running through the curtains, yelling, “I’ll go get Angela!”

 

As the Swedish girl made her hasty retreat, Hana curled up into a ball and grasped her throat, sweat running down her forehead. “ _Thirsty..._ ”

 

_Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum._

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I'm so sorry for the long delay. I've been busy dealing with finals, vacations, and now summer classes. Thank you so much for your patience. This chapter was really hard to write, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it!

“Are you feeling any better, Hana?” Angela inquired, watching as the young girl drained her second glass of water.

 

A few moments ago, the blonde woman had been gathering the last of her examination equipment when Brigitte came crashing through her office door, screaming, “Something’s wrong with Hana!” Dropping the ophthalmoscope from her hand, Angela wasted no time in sprinting past the taller woman and towards the corner of the infirmary where Hana laid trembling and pleading for water.

 

Hana let out a small sigh as she lowered the glass from her mouth, relishing in the feeling of the glass’s cold perspiration against her clammy palms. Brigitte stood by the bed with a pitcher of water in her hands, ready to refill Hana’s cup if the younger girl so desired. “Yeah, I think I’m okay now,” Hana replied. Although the discomfort in her throat still lingered, the intense pain in her chest was starting to ebb away. The strange scent was gone. She held out her glass and Brigitte filled it again.

 

Angela sighed as her nerves dissipated. “Ah, what a relief...you nearly scared us half to death…” Her look of concern quickly turned into one of curiosity. “Does your throat still hurt?”

 

The gamer slowly nodded. “It’s been nagging me since last night. Maybe I’m getting sick…”

 

“It is a possibility,” the doctor agreed, twirling her pen through her fingers. “Perhaps it’s the onset of the flu. Have you experienced any other symptoms?” She looked at Hana expectantly.

 

Hana took a small sip of water before replying. “Mm, I had trouble going back to sleep after we talked last night. I ended up just watching movies all morning.”

 

Angela nodded as she wrote it down. “Anything else?”

 

The young girl opened her mouth but hesitated. She set her half-empty glass onto the side table, prompting Brigitte to do the same with the pitcher. Hana looked furtively into each of their eyes as she asked, “Have you guys...noticed any weird smells around the base recently?”

 

“What kind of smell?” Angela asked. Hana looked down, her hair masking the uncertainty on her face.

 

“I don’t know how to explain it...it just smells strange…” She shook her head, her cheeks tinted a faint pink. “I’m sorry if I’m sounding totally weird right now.”

 

Angela sent her a reassuring smile. “You’re fine.” She tapped her chin in contemplation, trying to recall any peculiar smells she might’ve picked up around the base. “Unfortunately, I haven’t encountered anything out of the ordinary, but I trust that you’re telling the truth. Where have you been noticing this smell?”

 

Hana gulped, clasping her hands firmly on her lap. “Mostly in this room...but I also smelled it out in the hallway…” She refrained from mentioning Satya’s room so as not to raise any suspicions against the Indian woman.

 

“Hmm, I will admit that the ventilation system could use some renovations. The air in here tends to get stale really fast,” Angela remarked, squinting at the air vent situated above Hana’s bed. “It can’t be helped, given that this place was shut down following the Petras Act. All of the facilities on this base are severely outdated.” She turned her attention to Brigitte. “Is it alright to have you look into that?”

 

The mechanic nodded firmly. “I’ll make it my next project after I’m done helping Papa with his new weapon.”

 

Hana blinked in confusion. “What new weapon?”

 

Brigitte’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s right! You’ve been asleep for so long that you haven’t been to the latest debriefings.” Before she could say any more, Angela coughed audibly into her hand and sent the mechanic a pointed look. Rubbing the back of her head, Brigitte giggled nervously.

 

“Well, I’ll tell you more about it once you’re in better health. I’ve been working on a new rifle with my father and Symmetra using hard-light technology. It’s Commander Morrison’s orders. With the pace we’re going, we should have a prototype built in a week or two.”

 

Hana felt herself go starry-eyed at the news. “That sounds awesome! You have to show it to me once it’s finished!” Brigitte scratched her cheek modestly, a small surge of pride coursing through her.

 

Angela sighed, putting her hands into her pockets. She looked out at the Mediterranean Sea, the early morning light casting a luminescent glow onto the ocean’s crescent waves. A seagull landed on a rock outcropping close to the window, cocking its head to the side in curiosity.

 

“I disagreed wholeheartedly with the idea, but it’s not like Jack ever listens to what _I_ have to say...I just hope he realizes that weapons don’t always equate to peace.” Even though Overwatch’s size had grown in number–with old and new soldiers banding together–the fight for global peace often led to more casualties than they would’ve liked. Gangs, covert sects, Talon… Many lives have been lost due to the high-tech weaponry that these corrupt organizations possess–both soldier and civilian alike.

 

Brigitte walked over and patted the doctor lightly on her back. “I know it’s hard, Angela, but I think the Commander is right. These weapons can help give us the edge we need to defeat Talon for good!”

 

Hana nodded in agreement. “Yeah! You’ve seen what sorta equipment Talon has these days. They’re no joke.” She cringed as she remembered running into a Talon grunt dual-wielding two miniguns that were melded into his arms. She could still feel the force of those bullets drill holes into her mech’s pink-colored body.

 

Although Angela still felt peeved, she could not deny that what they said was true. Talon was hitting them harder than ever and it was costing them greatly. Perhaps Overwatch was in need of a fighting edge.

 

“I hate to admit it, but what you say does have merit,” Angela conceded. She clasped Brigitte’s shoulder, sending her an encouraging smile. “And I trust your work. I’m sure you’ll make something great.”

 

“Thanks, Angela,” Brigitte replied, patting the doctor’s hand. Suddenly, her cell phone rang wildly in her pocket, playing an old Swedish folk song that she had set as her ringtone. Hana brought a hand to her mouth to stop herself from giggling.

 

Hastily, the mechanic answered it. “Hello?”

 

“ _Brigitte! I need you to come to the workshop right now! I think I attached the wrong part into the system!_ ” The voice of an exasperated Torbjörn came through Brigitte’s tiny phone.

 

“I’ll be there in a sec!” Brigitte replied. She put her phone back into her pocket and turned towards the gamer. “Well, that’s my cue to go.” Her expression grew soft as she smiled, her eyes creasing into two small half moons. “I’m glad that you’re finally awake, Hana.”

 

The gamer felt her heart skip a beat. The mechanic had been nothing but kind and compassionate towards her, wearing her heart on her sleeve. Hana felt her nerves spiral out of control with just those few words and a pure-hearted smile.

 

“Thanks, Brigitte,” Hana replied after taking in a deep breath. Pulling the mechanic down to her level, she wrapped her thin arms around muscular shoulders. “Hope to see you around.”

 

“Mhm! Just let me know if you ever need anything.” And with that, the tall Swede was gone.

 

‘ _So precious_.’ Angela thought, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye. She turned her attention towards her patient. “I think it’s about time we get started on those tests, hmm?”

 

“What’re we doing?” Hana asked, hoping that it wasn’t some lengthy procedure.

 

“For now, we’re just going to do a physical examination. I really just want to see where you’re at. Sound good?”

 

The gamer nodded. “M’kay.”

 

As the doctor turned to gather her things from her office, Hana laid back against her pillows, absentmindedly scratching the side of her throat.

* * *

For the next thirty minutes, Hana obediently followed Angela’s instructions as they went through various tests. So far, everything was going smoothly.

 

“Alright, Hana, can you open your mouth for me, please?” Angela asked, a wooden stick and a scope in her hands. The young girl obeyed, opening her mouth as wide as she could. Angela pressed her tongue down with the stick and used the scope to peer into the back of her throat.

 

“Everything looks good so far–hmm, what’s this?” Angela muttered in curiosity, her eyes widening.

 

“What’s wrong?” she asked once the stick was removed.

 

The doctor shook her head. “It must be a figment of my imagination but...Hana, have your canines always been this long?”

 

The younger girl blinked. “Huh?”

 

Angela rummaged through her pocket and took out a small pocket mirror. “See for yourself.”

 

Slowly, Hana opened the mirror and stared at her face. Nothing seemed to change in the week that was she unconscious, but she noticed that her skin was paler than she would have liked. Opening her mouth, she peered at her aforementioned canines and gasped. They were definitely longer than she was used to seeing, poking out from the rest of her teeth like small nubs.

 

“What the–” the gamer raised a tentative finger to one of the canines but cringed when she felt herself get pricked. “Tch…!” She looked at the tip of her finger as a small bead of blood began to pool.

 

_Ba-dum._

 

Hana gulped as she zeroed in on the tiny droplet, her body going as rigid as a pole. Her teeth ached annoyingly, prompting her to run her tongue against them. She felt compelled to lick the crimson bead off her finger and see how it tasted.

 

“Hana?”

 

The young girl startled as if shocked, wildly looking around as she was brought back to the present. Angela wrapped a small band-aid around her finger, which made the gamer sigh in discontent.

 

“Be careful, you don’t want to bite off your finger and end up with a prosthetic, do you?”

 

Hana flexed her finger as she looked at the bandaid. “Would you really make a prosthetic for my little finger?” She flashed Angela an expression of playful innocence, complete with big doe eyes and an impish smile.

 

Angela chuckled. “Youth these days. So insufferable.”

 

“Hah, I’m sure you were up to no good when you were my age. Right, Angie?”

 

“Ah, well, I was already working for Overwatch. I didn’t have much time for myself back then.”

 

Hana’s mouth dropped before she could stop herself. “Wait, you were a doctor for Overwatch at _nineteen_?!”

 

“Seventeen, actually,” Angela pretended to check her nails nonchalantly yet smirked when she saw the Korean girl’s awestruck eyes. She considered herself a modest woman, but there was no denying that she was renowned as a teenage genius.

 

“Angela, my respect for you has increased,” Hana deadpanned, putting her hands on the doctor’s shoulders.

 

“Are you saying you didn’t respect me before?” Angela put on a mask of scorn and displeasure.

 

“No, no! I’m kiddingpleasedon’tkillme,” Hana jokingly stammered and jumped away as if she were about to be hit.

 

Angela wiped a tear from her eye as her laughter died down. “It’s good to see you so energetic again, Hana.”

 

After a few moments, Hana returned to a seating position, her mouth set into a thin line. “Hey, Angie?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“What happened to me during the Ilios mission?”

 

Angela froze momentarily. “Why are you asking?”

 

Hana wrapped her arms around herself, deep in thought. “It’s just that...I can’t remember much of what happened that night. And everyone has made such a huge fuss about it.” It was then that she muttered something under her breath, but the doctor couldn’t make out what it was. “Angela, please,” Hana begged, grabbing onto the doctor’s lab coat. “Please tell me!”

 

Angela settled down into her chair. Gently, she took Hana’s hands into her own, noting that they felt as cold as the snow.

 

“If you really want to know, I’ll tell you. Our mission was to retrieve a lost relic–you remember that at least, right?”

 

Hana nodded.

 

“Brigitte told us that you were fighting Widowmaker when your comm got cut off.”

 

The Korean girl closed her eyes as she tried to recall the incident. _‘That’s right…I was fighting Widowmaker after she shot at me._ ’ She brought a fist to her head as the memory went blank. “Dammit…”

 

Angela looked down at the ground. “We don’t know what exactly went down after that, but when Brigitte, Lena, and Lúcio found you...you were on the verge of death. You lost twenty percent of your blood.”

 

“What? How?”

 

It was then that the doctor lightly touched the bandages wrapped around Hana’s neck. “Hana, your throat was slit. I don’t know how you survived, but it was long enough for me to come and treat it with my Caduceus.”

 

The gamer’s heart dropped like a heavy weight. Frantically, she tried clawing at her bandages to check on the wound until Angela stopped her. “Wait, let me do it,” the doctor ordered. “We need to redress them, anyway.” Hana took in a few breaths to calm her palpitating heart as the doctor carefully unraveled the bandages. When the last strip fell onto the bed, Angela put a hand to her mouth in shock.

 

Upon seeing the doctor’s stricken reaction, Hana tried to incline her head to look at her neck. “Is it bad?”

 

“...Your wound is fully healed.” Angela peered closely at the spot on Hana’s neck where a large gash once stood, only to be met by flawless pale skin. The skillful stitching that she had woven into the wound fell harmlessly to the floor. She traced her finger along the younger girl’s neck until she felt two small raised bumps. “Strange, these weren’t there before…” Upon closer scrutiny, the field medic noticed that they were slightly red, almost like bug bites.

 

Angela backed away as Hana began to stretch her neck, craning it from left–to–right as a means to uncoil her stiff muscles.

 

“Do you feel any pain?” Angela asked.

 

Hana shook her head. “I just feel a bit sore.” She looked at her neck with the hand mirror and sighed in relief when she saw that the wound was gone; the small bumps made her frown, however. “Ew, did some nasty bugs bite me?”

 

“I think so. Perhaps a mosquito or two happened upon your body before any of us got to you.”

 

The younger girl chuckled. “Maybe they couldn’t get enough of my sweet, sweet blood.”

 

Angela crossed her arms. “Now’s not the time to be joking around. I’m still perplexed by how it healed so fast.”

 

“Maybe your healing tech is just that good? I’m sure you’ve patched up way worse injuries than mine.”

 

“But when I used my Caduceus, the wound was still very lacerated…” The doctor promptly shut her mouth. She didn’t want to upset the gamer or frighten her any more than she already had. Angela coughed into her hand, making a mental note to look into the situation later.

 

Angela stood up, readjusting the bottom of her black sweater. “Well, Hana,” she said, glancing at her clipboard. “Based on the results of your exam, you’re in perfect health. I think it’s safe to let you out of here.”

 

Hana jumped forward in her bed, her face lit up with joy like a child during Christmas. “Really?!” She didn’t know how much more she could take laying in the infirmary; the boredom was just too much.

 

“Yes. Since your wound is healed, you really don’t have to stay in here anymore.”

 

Hana pumped her fist in the air. “Alllllllright!”

 

“However.” The gamer looked at the doctor. “Seeing as you’ve just recovered, I don’t want you to overexert yourself. You’re prohibited from going on any missions for one month.”

 

“ _What?!_ You can’t do that!”

 

“Oh yes, I can. I’m the medical professional here. Besides, I’ve already spoken to Jack and he agreed.” She put a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. “Trust me, Hana, it’s for your own good.”

 

The Korean girl pouted, crossing her arms in muted frustration. “Fine…” She supposed she could use the time off to start streaming again, a thought that helped her perk up some.

 

Angela gave her a placating squeeze. “I knew you’d come around.” She pointed to the shower room adjacent to her office. “Go ahead and freshen up in there. I’ll go gather some clothes from your room and leave them outside.”

 

Hana pushed back the covers and jumped out of bed, raising her arms high above her head as she languidly stretched. “Sounds good! Thanks, Angie!”

 

“It’s not a problem.” The doctor’s eyes widened. “Oh, your throat still hurts, right?” She ran to her office and came back with a small orange container filled with tiny white pills. “Here, take two a day. I’ll leave it with your clothes.”

 

Hana gave her a thumbs up. “Aye aye, captain!” It was then that she jumped at the doctor and gave her a huge hug, nearly knocking the staggering blonde over. She buried her face into the taller woman’s chest. “Thanks again, Angie. For everything.”

 

Angela slowly smiled as she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl’s frame. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Hana. But if you feel like something’s wrong, make sure you come and see me right away, alright?”

 

“Mhm!” She extracted herself from the doctor’s embrace and walked towards the shower room, determined to wash away all the grime and sweat from her body. As the bathroom door closed behind her, a random thought came to her.

 

The doctor had smelled really good.

* * *

Hana plopped down against plush pink pillows and a puffy pink bedsheet, letting out a long contented sigh. She was back in her room after having taken a relaxing shower. The young girl was clad in a pair of black running shorts and a loose white t-shirt, courtesy of Angela.

 

She looked around, taking in the room’s dominant pink color-scheme. Adjacent to her bed was a pink mini fridge and next to that was her pride and joy: her gaming PC. It was outfitted with all the latest hardware and cost thousands. Hana stared lovingly at her logo that was custom painted onto the side of the chassis. The walls were plastered with movie posters (usually those in which she starred in) and posters showcasing her favorite games. On the opposite side of the room away from the bed sat various bean bag chairs that circled around a flat-screen TV; plugged into the TV were gaming consoles that Hana turned on whenever she invited Lena and Lúcio to play with her. To put it succinctly, her room was a gamer’s paradise.

 

“Ahh, it feels good to be back in my own bed,” Hana swooned, rolling over and hugging one of her pillows. A knock on her door caught her attention. “Come in!”

 

Brigitte walked into the room. “Hey! I heard you got released earlier than expected.”

 

Hana shrugged. “My injury healed up pretty quickly.” She patted the space next to her, looking at the mechanic expectantly. After a few moments, Brigitte slowly sat down on the designated spot.

 

“Well, you seem to be doing okay,” Brigitte remarked, studying the younger girl’s face. “Although your skin looks paler than usual.”

 

“I know, right? It’s probably because of my sore throat.” Hana took out the container of pills that Angela gave her and shook it. “Hopefully these will do the trick.” She set it down on her side table. “How did things go with your dad?”

 

Brigitte sighed. “When I got there, the weapons system was busted. It took me a while to fix everything.”

 

“Sounds rough.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

The room went silent after that, the two girls lost in their own thoughts. After a while, Hana turned to the taller mechanic. “Hey, Brigitte?”

 

“What is it?”

 

The gamer looked down at her lap then back at Brigitte. “I just wanted to say thanks for being so nice to me.” She started to blush. “You’re really sweet.”

 

The mechanic felt her face grow warm. “O-Oh! It’s no big deal! I’m just happy that you’re awake!” Brigitte hid her mouth behind her hand, frantically looking left-to-right. “And I uh...I care about you.”

 

Hana giggled. She pulled the Swede’s hand away from her face so that she could peer into the taller girl’s eyes. The longer they stared at each other, the more relaxed they both grew. The younger girl slowly cupped Brigitte’s face with her right palm and gave it a light caress, gulping when she felt the mechanic incline into her touch. Hana felt her chest start to tingle.

 

“Hana, I–”

 

_Ba-dum._

 

The mysterious smell that had been haunting Hana wafted through the room like a heavy smoke. ‘ _Oh no, not this again,_ ’ she thought, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to fight off the impending pain. She let out a hacking cough as it got harder to breathe, her lungs constricted by an invisible coil. Before she could fall forward, she felt strong muscular arms wrap around her and keep in her place. She peered up at the mechanic with half-lidded eyes as she took in a few laborious breaths.

 

“Are you alright?!”

 

_Ba-dum, ba-dum._

 

The younger girl blinked blearily as she heard a faint thumping sound reverberate through her head like a powerful drum. Her throat pulsated painfully as she realized that it was the sound of a quickened heartbeat.

 

_Ba-dum, ba-dum._

 

“Do you need me to get Angela?”

 

“N-no…” the gamer managed to let out. “I just need...hah...some water…” She pointed a shaky hand at the mini fridge.

 

Brigitte laid the younger girl against the bed and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Unscrewing the cap, she was about to hand it to the gasping girl until she felt a small hand encircle her wrist, pulling her down onto the bed. Brigitte let out a surprised yelp when she felt Hana straddle her, pinning her wrists above her head. The gamer panted wearily, her expression hidden behind long strands of hair. The bottle of water clattered to the floor and rolled underneath the bed, leaving behind a large wet puddle.

 

“H-Hana…? What’re you doing?”

 

The gamer ignored her, instead choosing to look at the crook of Brigitte’s neck. The thumping sound grew louder and louder until she realized it was the mechanic’s pulse calling out to her. She grit her teeth as the enigmatic smell grew stronger, drawing her in and casting her in a trance. She brought her face closer to the mechanic’s neck, an unseen force compelling her to–

 

“ _Hana!_ ”

 

The young girl jumped back. She released her hold on the Swede’s arms and backed away to the opposite side of the bed. Brigitte stood up and rubbed her wrists, which were beginning to display red marks.

 

Hana looked at the taller woman in abject shock, covering her mouth with a hand. “Brigitte, I-I’m so sorry! I-I don’t know what came over me!”

 

“I-It’s fine,” Brigitte stammered. Without looking at the gamer, she quickly walked over to the door. “Uh…I’ll see you later.”

 

When the Swede had gone, Hana slowly sunk onto the bed and buried her face in her hands, wondering why she had felt compelled to bite into the taller girl’s flesh.

* * *

Angela rubbed her eyes. After Hana had gone, the Swiss surgeon had started her other tasks for that day. She stared woefully at her computer screen and all the work that had yet to be completed. On her desk were some files detailing the capabilities of her Caduceus and the notes she had taken during Hana’s examination. Angela let out a yawn as she fell back against her chair, shielding her eyes from the overhead lights.

 

A knock on the door roused her from her weary stupor.

 

“Come in!”

 

Vishkar’s ex-operative, Satya Vaswani, walked in, a vase of bright-colored peonies in her hands.

 

“Oh, Symmetra! What a pleasant surprise!” She stacked her files into a pile and stood up. “What brings you here?”

 

“Good day to you, Doctor Zeigler,” Satya replied. “I am here to deliver these flowers to Hana, but I could not find her anywhere in the infirmary. Do you happen to know where she might be?”

 

“I’m sorry, but I already released Hana a few hours ago. She should be back in her bedroom now."

 

“I see.” Satya looked around the office until her eyes chanced upon Hana’s medical files lying on the doctor’s desk. Angela pulled them away from the Indian woman’s calculating gaze.

 

“Well, if there’s nothing else, I would appreciate it if you could l–”

 

The architect raised a hand.

 

“No. There is something I must talk to you about.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up, everyone! I hope you all have had an amazing summer! If you've just started school or work, I hope things are going okay so far. I'm going to be starting school next month, so updates may drastically slow down over the course of the school year. My sincerest apologies! 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys are ready for this next chapter because it issssssssss...over 7000 words long! Crazy right? I typically try and hit ~3000 words, but I really wanted to write a more exciting chapter this time around. Let me know if the length is too much, okay? As always, thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy the story.
> 
> Also would like to give a HUGE shoutout to hotpocket-senpai for the amazing fanart of Chapter 2! It really means a lot to me! You can check it out here: http://hotpocket-senpai.tumblr.com/post/176959991692/i-made-some-fanfic-fanart-a-little-while-ago-and-i

_Three days ago; Dorado, Mexico_

 

The air was freezing in the dusty hills of Dorado as the wintry chill of December overtook the city. Sombra slowly trudged along cracked cobblestones, her mitten-clad hands stuffed deeply within the confines of her heavy winter coat. Her feet carried her underneath shaded archways and decrepit alleyways filled with trash and broken crates until she finally stopped in front of a small bakery. A soft bell chime sounded as she pushed through its green double doors.

 

“Oh hey, Liv!” A young girl greeted her from her place behind the counter, her hands white with flour as she expertly rolled a chunk of dough. Sombra waved her hand in greeting.

 

“Where’s your mom, Alé?”

 

“She’s out on some errands,” Alejandra replied, setting the dough onto the counter. “Did you need something?”

 

Sombra readjusted the collar of her blouse as she scrutinized some pastries in the shelf next to her. “Yeah, the usual is fine.”

 

“Sure!” The girl set out on preparing her order, grabbing a few fresh loaves and stuffing them into a paper bag. Sombra languidly flipped through her wallet and set a few bills onto the counter.

 

“ _Gracias_ ,” she said. “And don’t tell your mom that I let you keep the change.” Sombra grinned and gave the kid a sly wink.

 

Alejandra giggled behind a closed hand. “I won’t!”

 

Sombra went out on the street again with a bag full of bread tucked underneath her arm. She made her way back into the residential area of the city and down into the slums, where she spotted the neighborhood kids in the middle of playing hopscotch. One of them, a boy dressed in a dirty sweater, spotted her first and yelled out, “Hey, it’s Liv!” His friends quickly ceased their activities and ran up to her with huge smiles on their faces. Laughing, Sombra tried to create space between herself and the children as they corralled her from all directions with small, grabby hands.

 

“Hey, hey! Don’t come at me all at once!” Immediately, the kids stopped hounding her and got into a line, as if it were all a well-rehearsed tradition. Once she was sure that they were on their best behavior, the older woman began passing out loaves of bread to each of them. The kids ate with a vigorous hunger, tearing into their portions like starving mice faced with a platter of the most delectable cheese. Sombra sat cross-legged on an overturned crate as she watched them eat, a smile making its way to her face. A small tug at her shirt interrupted her momentary peace, and she turned to look at a little boy who gazed up at her with big, curious eyes. He held out his half-eaten loaf.

 

“Aren’t you going to have any?”

 

Sombra shook her head. “Nah, I’m not that hungry. And besides, the bread’s for you guys.” She placed her hand atop the boy’s head and tousled his curly brunette locks. “Don’t worry about me, just enjoy it.”

 

The boy shook his head, tearing off a piece of his bread and putting it in Sombra’s palm before running off to rejoin his friends. She sighed, closing her fist around the small portion. She was, in fact, hungry, but her stomach wouldn’t settle for just any kind of food. She slowly ran her tongue along two sharp canines, wondering how she was going to get dinner that night.

 

It was the ring of her cell phone that shook her from her musings. The caller was unknown, which meant that either a contractor was looking to enlist in her services...or that one of her bosses was checking in on her. Making sure that no one was watching, Sombra activated her translocator and found herself back within the confines of her apartment. Her bedroom was filled with the latest technology money could buy, even some that she may or may not have stolen from a few secret organizations and influential conglomerates. She unbuttoned her coat and threw it onto the bed before accepting the call.

 

“ _Good afternoon, Sombra._ ”

 

Sombra bit into her lip as soon as she heard Moira’s cool and untroubled voice. She was still pissed off at the doctor after their latest mission, but she couldn’t afford to get too riled up. Like her, the doctor was good at reading people, and so she had to be careful how she carried herself. Taking a discrete breath, she donned her trademark, snarky persona. “Ey, Doc, what’s shakin’?”

 

“ _I’m here to assign you a new mission._ ”

 

Sombra whistled. “Oh yeah? Hit me.”

 

“ _Our contacts have informed us of a new weapon Overwatch is currently developing. We want you to infiltrate their base in Gibraltar and find out what exactly they’re working on. Widowmaker will also be coming along to assist you._ ”

 

“An infiltration mission, eh? Sounds like something right up my alley.”

 

“ _I would certainly hope so._ ”

 

“Alrighty, then. I’ll get you those plans, no worries.” Sombra replied. She strolled over to the kitchen and opened her fridge, only to grumble when she realized that it was empty. _I guess I’m gonna have to go hunting tonight._

 

“Oh, and one more thing,” the doctor said.

 

“What?”

 

“ _While you’re there, I’d like it if you could check up on my little...pet._ ”

 

Sombra slammed her fridge closed before she could stop herself.

 

“ _Is everything alright_?”

 

“Yeah,” Sombra replied, closing her free hand into a fist. “Slip of the hand.”

 

She heard the doctor chuckle lightly. “ _You would do well to exercise a bit more caution. Our strength is far superior to that of regular humans._ ”

 

“I’m not some newborn stumbling around in the dark,” Sombra said with an even tone. “I’ve been a vampire for years. I think I know what I’m capable of.”

 

“ _Make sure that you do. A vampire’s biggest weakness is complacency, after all. Anyways, if you do happen to run into our lovely Miss Song, make sure that she is becoming accustomed to her new–how should I put it–condition._ ”

 

“Got it. I’ll talk to you later.”

 

The hacker ran a hand through her hair as the call finally ended, letting out a loud sigh as she plopped down onto a couch in her living room. Memories of the last mission continued to haunt her, and her inability to stop Moira filled her with immense guilt. But above all else, she felt sorry for the young gamer. Sombra was grateful that she chose to become who she was of her own volition, but to have been pushed into vampirism against your will... it was all just so wrong. Slapping her cheeks with both hands, she stood up. She’d get the bosses what they wanted, but above all else, she needed to make sure that Hana was okay. It was the least she could do.

* * *

_Present Day; Watchpoint: Gibraltar_

 

The sun steadily descended from the sky as morning gave way to late afternoon. The base was full of life as various agents went about their day, yet Hana remained in her room, lying atop her bed with an arm pulled over her eyes.  

 

“What’s wrong with me…” she let out, her expression somber. A constant sore throat, random blackouts, and almost biting Brigitte? Hana felt like she was going insane.  

 

“Maybe I’m  _not_ fully recovered yet…” She looked towards the container of pills sitting on top of her side table. She had taken two, just as Angela had ordered, but she didn’t feel any fraction of a difference in her condition. Sighing, she eyed the empty bottles sitting in her garbage bin. Water did help ease a bit of discomfort, but it didn’t completely drive the pain away. Hana wrung a hand through her hair and groaned. “Goddammit, what’s happening to me?!”

 

Sitting up, she looked at her analog clock and found that it was already four. She needed to talk to Angela again and figure out what the hell was going on. “I can do that over dinner…” Hana mused, scooting to the edge of the bed and standing up. _And apologize to Brigitte, while I’m at it._ In the meantime, she figured she might as well act on her promise and do a short stream.

 

It felt like forever since she booted up her precious PC. The soft texture of her office chair was a familiar comfort and immediately set her mind at ease. She typed a quick message on Twitter before getting everything set up.

 

“ _hey everyone! it’s been a while! i’m doing a quick stream right now so don’t miss it! :) <3” _

 

When she brought her stream online, thousands of viewers were already there to greet her.

 

“ _OMG SHE’S BACK_ ”

 

“ _we missed you hana!_ ”

 

“ _my body is ready_ ”

 

Hana took in a deep breath before turning on her webcam.

 

“Hey, guys! Did you miss me?” The chat went wild with affirmations and heart emojis.

 

“Well, I sure did miss you! Sorry for being a little MIA for the last couple of weeks. Things always get a bit crazy when you’re fighting for world peace!”

 

One person in chat responded with: “ _are u gonna livestream your battles again?_ ”

 

Hana laughed lightly. “I wish I could, but my commander got mad at me and told me to stop. _Mianhae_!” The chat was filled with sad faces.

 

“Hey, don’t be sad! Here, I’ll tell you what–since I’ve been gone for a while, I’ll let you guys pick what game I play today! Sounds good?”

 

The gamer's eyes scrolled through the list of suggestions rapidly cycling through chat. “It seems like I’m gonna be playingggggg... _League of Legends_!” The online game had gotten the most votes from viewers, as far as she could tell.  _League_ was far from her favorite game; in fact, she hated it a little bit. However, her competitive streak saw that she was still highly ranked in even her most despised games. “I know, I know, _League_ is hot cancer,” she said, eyeing a few less than appropriate remarks about the game. “But hey, you guys asked for it!”

 

In the two hours that followed, Hana had played three intense ranked games in the Challenger tier and won, although at the cost of her stress levels.

 

 _I hate this game so fucking much_ , she thought as leaned back in her chair. Her teammates kept making stupid mistakes or spent the majority of the match hitting her up. At least she had her viewers to complain to and exchange jokes with; if she were completely alone, she would’ve thrown her monitor across the room.

 

Hana yawned and checked the time: it was a little past six o’clock. A knock on her door indicated that it was time to log off. “Whoops! Sorry, everyone, but it looks like I’m all outta time!” Some people sent cries of protests, while others gave her their resigned goodbyes. “Thanks for tuning in today, guys! I promise I’ll stream again soon!” She flashed the webcam a quick hand heart. “I’ll see you guys later! Bye bye!” And with that, she ended the stream and turned her PC off. Turning her head towards the door, she called out, “Come in!”

 

Her door quietly opened, revealing one of Hana’s good friends. It was Lúcio who walked into her room, dressed in his signature frog tank top and a pair of navy blue joggers. “What’s shakin’, girl?” The Brazilian DJ gave her a wide grin. Hana was happy to see Lúcio again, but she wished it was Brigitte who entered the room.

 

“Nothing much. I just finished doing a quick stream.”

 

“I know! I was watching most of it. I see being hospitalized hasn’t made you lose your touch!”

 

“What can I say,” Hana said, crossing her arms and looking smug. “I play to win!” She stood up and stretched for the first time that evening, the notches in her neck and shoulders coming undone. “So, what’re you doing here?”

 

“Welllll,” Lúcio began, slightly leaning forward as he put his hands behind his back. “Let’s just say I’m here to show you to your...surprise.”

 

The gamer felt her eyebrow quirk. “Surprise?”

 

Before she could muster up another word, Lúcio grabbed a hold of her wrist. “Come with meeeeee~” The DJ practically sang as he pulled her out of the room.

 

“H-Hey!”

* * *

Her “surprise” wasn’t very far. With just a few twists and turns through the large base, the gamer found herself right outside the entryway of the dining hall. Hana felt her eyes widen as familiar scents pervaded her nose. She turned to Lúcio, the man already grinning from ear to ear. “You didn’t…”

 

The dining hall was a large rectangular space adjacent to the kitchen. All the tables were made up of smooth, dark wood and were aligned parallel to one another. Beside each table were chairs made up of the same material, meticulously sanded down and shined to give off a clean and homely feel. Many of her fellow agents were already seated, casually chattering away or burying their faces in some of Hana’s favorite native dishes: jjajangmyeon, gimbap, and galbi, to name a few. Lena sat closest to where she was standing and therefore was the first to notice her entrance.

 

“There she is! Come over here, Hana!” she waved her hand ecstatically in a beckoning motion just as she stuffed a piece of seafood pajeon into her mouth. Hana surveyed the room as she and Lúcio approached Lena’s table. The pilot sat together with Jesse, Genji, Fareeha, and Zenyatta. The cowboy, already in the throes of drunkenness, attempted to pour some whiskey into Fareeha’s outstretched cup but ended up spilling alcohol all over the table instead. Fareeha gently pried the bottle from the man’s hands and poured whatever was left into her cup, all while cleaning up Jesse’s mess with a few napkins. Genji and Zenyatta were engaged in quiet small talk while the ninja slurped some galbitang.

 

A little further down the table, the older members of Overwatch took the time to catch up after many years spent apart on their own journeys. Ana sipped her tea quietly as Reinhardt and Torbjörn butted heads; it appeared that out of everything, their friendly rivalry was one that would never die. Meanwhile, Jack eyed the food with obvious hesitation and curiosity, his hands wrapped firmly around his eating utensils. Hana found herself frown inwardly when she saw that Brigitte was sitting next to Reinhardt’s huge frame, almost as if she were trying to hide.

 

Lena scooted over so that she and Lúcio could sit down. “It’s about time you came and joined us! What were you doing in your room all day?”

 

Hana shrugged. “Playing games, streaming. You know the drill.”

 

“This girl’s insane!” Lucio exclaimed, clapping her on the back. “I don’t know how much of it is talent and how much of it is just hard work.”

 

“That’s D.Va for you! She’s a real legend!” Lena playfully punched Hana in the arm.

 

“Aw, you guys are sweet,” Hana said, idly playing with a strand of hair. “Especially all of this! You guys didn’t need to this for me.”

 

“It is of no consequence to us,” Zenyatta said. “In fact, we all agreed that it would be nice to eat together like this and celebrate your recovery.”

 

“Plus, this food’s prettttty gooood…” Jesse let out. He tried to shovel a bite into his mouth but collapsed onto the table, snoring heavily. Everyone roared with laughter. Sighing, Fareeha stood up, hoisting the man’s arm around her shoulders. “I’ll take him to his room. It’s good to see you out and about again, Hana.” And with that, the security guard carefully guided the slumbering cowboy out into the hallway and out of sight.

 

Hana wiped a tear out of her eye. “Okay, but where’d you guys get all this food, anyway?” She knew everyone on the base could cook, but she didn’t think anyone could cook food that smelled and looked this good. Except maybe...

 

“W-Whoa!”

 

In a millisecond, Lena blinked to wear Mei was and placed her hands on the scientist's shoulders as the Chinese woman tried to tighten her grip on a pot of soup. “Easy there! Wouldn’t want that to spill now would we?”

 

“T-Thank you, Lena!” Mei exclaimed, a deep blush of embarrassment enveloping her features. Genji put down his bowl and quickly helped ease the pot onto the table with the help of Lena. Mei let out a sigh of relief as she wiped her forehead with her apron.

 

“Well, there’s your answer,” Lúcio said with a lighthearted chuckle. Mei undid her apron and threw it onto the chair next to her as she sat down. Hana was at a loss for words.

 

“Mei, you cooked all of this?”

 

“Y-Yes…” Mei replied, meeting the gamer’s gaze with furtive eyes. “It wasn’t difficult to make. I thought it would be nice to celebrate your recovery with some of your native food…We were all terribly worried about you, after all.”

 

Hana felt her chest grow warm. “I don’t what to say...except thank you, Mei.” Lúcio grabbed some plates and handed one to her and Mei. While everyone resumed their meal once again, Hana couldn’t help but to just sit there and eye her food. Everything smelled amazing and reminded her of the restaurants she used to go to when she was younger, but she couldn’t bring herself to have a single bite. Her stomach was empty, that much was certain, yet she didn’t seem to have an appetite. She quietly poked at her food with her fork as her throat panged in annoyingly.

 

Lúcio glanced at her from the corner of his eye and lowered his spoon from his mouth. “Hey, what’s up? Aren’t you gonna have any?” Mei raised her head to stare at the gamer in curiosity, causing Hana to avert her eyes.

 

“I just...don't feel hungry, for some reason,” Hana said, rubbing her stomach. It was the same feeling when she was eating Brigitte’s donuts. “I-It’s not cause I don’t like the food! Everything smells and looks great…” She sighed. It was another strange symptom she would have to overcome.

 

“That’s weird,” Lena said, midway between shoveling another pancake into her mouth. “You haven’t eaten regular food in over a week!”

 

“I know, I know,” Hana replied, rubbing the back of her head in frustration. “I’ve been feeling a bit off today.” She glanced briefly towards where Brigitte was sitting. “By the way, do you guys know where Angela is? I wanted to talk to her about some things.” She hadn’t seen the doctor anywhere in the room, and it seemed like she wouldn’t be showing up in time to join in their festivities.

 

“I think she’s still in her office. I knocked on her door and asked her to come and eat but she said to go away,” Lena said, crossing her arms and pouting.

 

“Okay,” Hana said, standing up. “Well, if she does come in here, can you tell her that I need to talk to her? I’m gonna go outside and get some fresh air.” Before anyone could utter a word of protest, Hana turned on her heel and walked out of the room. Unbeknownst to her, however, was that someone else stood up and slowly followed after her.

* * *

Angela motioned at a chair leaning against the wall behind her. “Well, if you have something to say, please sit down. I’d feel awkward to have you just stand there.” The architect nodded, flattening out the back of her skirt before taking a seat. She propped her left leg on top of the other and folded her hands atop her lap. A moment of silence passed between the two as the doctor waited for Satya to respond.

 

“Well?”

 

The Indian woman frowned as she stared at her hands. Finally, after taking a deep breath, she looked intently into Angela’s eyes.

 

“I have come to warn you,” she began. “About Hana.”

 

Angela quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

 

“Doctor, I am about to tell you something you may find hard to believe,” Satya continued carefully. “But I assure you that what I am about to tell you is the truth.” She took in another breath as she gripped her hands a bit tighter. “Hana is...a vampire now.”

 

The blonde woman blinked twice. “I’m sorry?”

 

“Hana was turned into a vampire.”

 

Another moment of silence passed between the two before Angela let out a laugh. “You know, I’ve always seen you as the stern and stoic type, but I never knew you could tell such terrible jokes!” When she saw the other woman’s annoyed expression, however, she let her laughter die off.

 

“I know it is hard to take in, so I will help you understand.” Satya stood up and slowly approached the doctor, the sounds of her heels clicking against the floor reverberating throughout the room. Once she was in front of Angela, she bent down so that their faces were level with one another. “I want you to look at my teeth.”

 

“Y-Your teeth?”

 

The Indian woman studied Angela’s face keenly as she opened her mouth wide, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. Not a second later, her canines elongated and became sharp, intimidating fangs. The doctor screamed.

 

“SCHEISSE!”

 

Satya smiled bitterly. “An expected reaction.”

 

Angela clutched her racing heart as she took in a few ragged breaths. “Please tell me I was seeing things.”

 

“I assure you, Doctor, that what you just witnessed was very real. I am also a vampire.”

 

Angela wrung a hand through her hair as the sudden scare wore off. “I don’t know what to think? A vampire? Vampires are real?” Satya nodded silently.

 

“S-So you’re saying that…t-that Hana is…”

 

“Hana was not always a vampire,” Satya said. “I know because vampires can sense when other vampires are nearby. We give off a particular aura.” Her expression grew grim. “I believe some ill fate befell her during the Ilios mission...poor girl…”

 

“Vampires…” Angela muttered, shaking her head. She picked up Hana’s medical files with a trembling hand. “Maybe that explains it…”

 

The architect drew in closer. “Doctor, if you have noticed anything out of the ordinary concerning Hana, it would be wise to share it with me. We need to know just how far the transition has gone.”

 

“N-Now, hold on!” Angela said, putting out a hand in front of her to separate herself from the other woman. “This...this is all so much to take in…”

 

“There is no time,” Satya said. _I’ll have to soothe her_. _Forgive me, Doctor_. Satya’s eyes began to glow red, eliciting a shocked gasp from Angela. The architect looked deeply into Angela’s eyes and peered into her mind, grabbing on to her emotions of uncertainty and fear and mollifying them so that Angela would accept the truth. The doctor drew in a hasty breath, her visage becoming relaxed. The Indian woman’s eyes reverted back to their amber hue. “Are you alright?”

 

“Yes, I believe you now,” Angela replied, her tenseness dissipating. “I’m sorry for my prior anxiousness. I was just surprised.” She picked up Hana’s medical files and frowned.

 

“If Hana truly is a vampire now, that would probably explain why she was able to survive losing twenty percent of her blood volume,” Angela said. She took out two pictures from the folder and handed them to Satya. “This is what Hana’s neck looked like before and after it completely healed.”

 

Satya regarded them intently: one showcased a large gash on the side of Hana’s neck, while the other displayed her injury fully healed. She peered closely at the two small bumps that remained in the second picture.

 

“The perpetrator drained her then used their blood to turn her,” Satya concluded. “Vampire conversion has a very, very low success rate. By draining her, it allows the vampire’s blood to colonize her body’s organs and tissues easier.”

 

“And what of the gash?”

 

“A means of diverting attention from themselves and covering their tracks, I would assume. Wounds such as that do not heal in over a week.”

 

Angela held the folder to her chest, her expression conflicted. “So what does this mean for Hana? Is she...is she going to be okay?”

 

Satya paused. “...I am not sure,” she finally said. “It will depend on how accepting she is of her new life.”

 

“What will happen to her?”

 

“She–” Suddenly, the architect looked up, her eyes widened in alert. “Wait, something’s wrong.”

* * *

The night was quiet and serene at Watchpoint: Gibraltar, save for the methodical clicking of Sombra’s holopad as she tinkered with Overwatch’s database. Widowmaker stood beside her, carefully scanning the area through her scope. Their dropship was located a few minutes away from the base, cloaked by an invisibility device of Sombra’s making.

 

“We don’t have all day, hurry up,” Widowmaker scowled.

 

“Hey, don’t rush me! This firewall is a lot tougher than it looks.” Sombra scanned through multiple files and databases for the plans Talon desired, yet she was drawing up a blank. Things would’ve been much easier if she had direct access to Athena, Overwatch’s hyper-intelligent AI, but there wasn’t much two Talon operatives could do versus an entire task force of trained soldiers. Thus, they’d have to make do with hacking into the satellite outside.

 

“I can’t directly access the plans from here, but maybe I can track it down to a more concentrated source–like a cell phone or something. I’m sure one of their mechanics has it downloaded onto a personal device.” Sombra pulled up a map of the complex as she typed away, bypassing parts of Athena’s security system. After a few moments, a red blinking dot appeared in an area close to where the two of them were hiding. “Bingo.”

 

“Excellent,” Widowmaker replied. The sniper bent down to peer at the map over Sombra’s shoulder, her eyes honing in on the distance between them and the dot.

 

“How convenient. That should be somewhere below us.” Widowmaker shouldered her rifle again and searched the ground, hoping to find their target. What she saw, however, made her chuckle ominously.

 

“What’s up with you?” Sombra asked.

 

Widowmaker smirked again. Without a word, she handed Sombra her rifle and pointed. Eying the sniper, Sombra sighed and looked through the scope. She gasped.

 

 _Shit_.

 

“How does that saying go again?” Widowmaker replied. For the first time that night, she was smiling, but it wasn’t a smile of happiness or joy. It was the sadistic smile of a predator. “Kill two birds with one stone?”

 

They had found their mechanic and Hana.

* * *

Hana was glad that she had the presence of mind to change clothes because the weather was freezing outside. She brought her jacket closer to herself before laying her arms upon the railing in front of her, leaning forward so that she could look out at the ocean. The night sky was misty with the billowing forms of clouds, yet the pale disk of the moon continued to shine its light upon the base. A cool gust of wind made her shiver harder.

 

“Aren’t you cold up here?”

 

Hana jumped and turned around. Brigitte walked slowly towards her, dressed in a thick crew neck and a loose pair of sweats.

 

“O-Oh,” Hana said, suddenly feeling very nervous. “Hey, Brigitte…”

 

The mechanic drew up to the railing on Hana’s right, looking up at the sky. “Too bad you can’t see the stars tonight. They’re always so beautiful.”

 

“Y-Yeah…”

 

The two of them stood silently for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. The moon’s light faded as the clouds passed over it. Finally, Hana decided to speak up.

 

“Hey,” she began. Brigitte angled her head to meet her gaze. “I know nothing can excuse what I did, but I just want to say that...I’m sorry.”

 

Brigitte nodded. “I can tell from the look in your eyes that you mean it, but still. I didn’t enjoy being pushed down and put in that situation. It made me uncomfortable.”

 

“I’m really _really_ sorry I made you feel that way!” Hana yelled. She ran up to the mechanic and took her hands with her own. “I was...I was feeling weird.”

 

The mechanic’s expression grew perplexed. “Weird?”

 

Hana bit into her lip and fidgeted a bit. “Remember when I mentioned that smell back in the infirmary? Well, it was there when we were sitting on my bed.”

 

“But I didn’t smell anything.”

 

“I know, I know…” Hana said. “I know it’s hard to believe me, but I promise I’m telling the truth.” She slowly let go of Brigitte’s hands and looked towards the ground. “I’ve been feeling sick all day, and whenever I sense that smell, my mind just goes numb and everything starts to hurt. I swear that pushing you down was an accident.” She groaned as her throat panged. ” _Nng_ , my throat...No matter how much water I drink, the pain just seems to get worse…”

 

Despite being the victim in the current situation, Brigitte couldn’t help but default back to her caring nature. She put a hand on Hana’s shoulder. “Hey, how about we go back inside–”

 

Hana’s eyes shot open. “Wait.” Ignoring the mechanic’s puzzled response, Hana quickly turned around and looked up at the satellite dish. The clouds up above shifted so that the moon was visible again, letting light envelop their surroundings. The gamer noticed a lone figure standing next to the satellite, a long ponytail fluttering in the wind.

 

 _Interesting_ , Widowmaker thought. _She was able to sense my presence from this distance. The transition was a success, then._ Her cover blown, Widowmaker fired her grappling hook on the wall above Hana and Brigitte’s heads and slid down, landing gracefully in front of them and blocking the entrance back into the base.

 

“Widowmaker?!” Brigitte yelled in shock. The air next to the assassin shifted until another person appeared.

 

“ _Hola_.” The Mexican woman did a small wave with her hand.

 

“Well, this sucks,” Hana said, grinning despite the severity of the situation. She and Brigitte were unarmed and unsuited for battle, completely at the mercy of the Talon operatives. She could only hope that they wouldn’t be shot dead right then and there.  

 

The French sniper ignored her and instead turned her yellow-eyed gaze towards Brigitte. She held out her hand. “Your cell phone. Hand it over.”

 

Hana stood up on the tips of her toes so she could whisper quietly in Brigitte’s ear. “Why does she want your cell phone?”

 

“Because it has information that we desire,” Widowmaker replied, quirking an eyebrow when she saw the gamer’s alarmed reaction. “Why are you so surprised? You should be used to your new senses by now.”

 

“Uh, what are you talking about?” Hana asked in confusion.

 

Widowmaker and Sombra exchanged a glance.

 

“Never mind that,” the Mexican hacker said, stepping in front of Widowmaker so that she was shielding the two Overwatch agents. “Just give us your cell phone and we’ll be on our way.”

 

Brigitte wrapped her fingers around her cell phone and gripped it tightly. “What does it matter? Once I hand it over, you’ll just kill us and escape.”

 

“That is correct,” Widowmaker sneered. She pushed Sombra out of the way and raised her rifle so that it was level with Brigitte’s chest. “I promise your death will be quick and painless if you do as we say. However…” She pressed her gun firmly over Brigitte’s heart. “If you choose to resist...well, I may not be so _considerate_.” The corners of her mouth curled upwards as she watched beads of sweat roll down the mechanic’s forehead. “So? How would you like your life to end?”

 

“We’re not going to let you push us around–” The gamer felt a manicured hand grasp her shoulder. Hana turned towards the hacker with a growl.

 

“Don’t do something that you’ll regret,” Sombra said smoothly, tightening her grip as a means of keeping the younger girl in place. Hana could only watch as the blue-skinned assassin had her way with her friend. Her heart thumped erratically in her chest as she felt her whole body tense up like a pole. Her powerlessness made her grit her teeth in frustration. Meanwhile, Brigitte looked conflicted, the helpless situation bringing anxious tears to her eyes. Finally, she thrust her cell phone towards the assassin with a shaky hand. “Take it.” Widowmaker lowered her rifle as the mechanic looked down, shoulders slack as she accepted her imminent doom.  

 

With a satisfied _hmph_ , the assassin daintily took the device and slipped it into a pouch strapped to her thigh. Then she drew a sidearm from her hip and pointed it at the mechanic, a glistening silencer attached so that no one would hear the shot. Sombra stood impassively, knowing full well that if she intervened, she would rouse Widowmaker’s suspicions. Besides, she didn’t care about the mechanic. So long as Widowmaker didn’t hurt Hana, she could rest easy.

 

“I thank you for your cooperation,” Widowmaker said, casually flicking off the safety. Hana didn’t know if the light was playing tricks on her, but she could’ve sworn she saw the sniper’s eyes turned red for the briefest of moments. “I shall uphold my end of the bargain and make sure you die comfortably.” Eyes narrowing, she grinned sadistically. “ _Adieu_.”

 

The gamer felt something overtake her then. It started from her chest and quickly spread throughout the entirety of her body, making her feel highly energized and alert. Her surroundings faded into obscurity as hypersensitive eyes zeroed in on the bullet soaring towards Brigitte in slow motion. With inhuman speed, Hana broke away from Sombra’s clutches and jumped in front of the mechanic. The bullet drove its way into her chest, the force of it knocking her body backward. Hana coughed up blood as she fell onto the ground.

 

Both Sombra and Brigitte’s eyes widened in shock.

 

“ _Tsk,_ ” Widowmaker clicked her tongue, the annoyance clear on her face. She drove her foot into the gamer’s chest and kicked her aside, the strength of her kick causing Hana to collide with a nearby wall with an audible _thump_. Hana cried out in pain.

 

The assassin turned her attention back towards the mechanic. The tall Swede had collapsed onto her knees, tears streaming like rivers from startled eyes. Widowmaker felt herself smile.

 

“Now that we’ve gotten that _disturbance_ out of the way, how about we continue where we left off?” She reloaded her pistol and raised it again, this time leveling it with Brigitte’s temple.

 

“You–You’re a _monster_ …” Brigitte bit back a sob.

 

“I know, _cherie_. It’s in my blood.” Before she could pull the trigger, a bright blue light zoomed by and knocked the pistol out of her hand. The sniper growled and spun around.

 

“Cheers, love!” Tracer exclaimed. She fired her pulsefire pistols at the sniper, causing her to jump away so as not to be hit by the incoming bullets. Widowmaker raised her own rifle in retaliation, but she stopped when she felt Sombra grab her arm.

 

“We got what we wanted, didn’t we?” the hacker said, jerking her away. “Let’s _go_.”

 

Normally, the sniper didn’t give a damn about what Sombra said, but the commanding lilt in her voice gave her pause. She looked past Tracer and saw that other agents were quickly approaching. She frowned, lowering her rifle.

 

“Fine,” she snapped back, shrugging off Sombra’s hand. “We’re leaving.” She fired her grappling hook towards the building behind her and flew into the sky, not before throwing down a toxic mine at her feet. The device exploded, filling the area with a thick, venomous gas. Amidst the smoke, Sombra gave the fallen gamer one last glance before pressing the button of her translocator.

 

 _I didn’t want it to be like this_ , she thought. _I’m sorry, kid_. When the gas cloud cleared, she was gone.

 

Lena let out a cough as she waved the last of the gas away from her face. Behind her, Angela, Satya, Genji, and Lúcio skidded to a halt.

 

“The intruders! Where did they go?” Genji yelled, brandishing his blade. Lena shook her head.

 

“They got away,” she said. “But they couldn’t have gone very far. If we’re fast enough, we might be able to capture them.”

 

“Then let us go and give them a proper goodbye,” the ninja replied. He quickly scaled a building and was gone, running off in the direction of Widowmaker. Lena followed him, stepping off of a crate and blinking over the roof of the building.

 

Lúcio skated towards the stricken mechanic, his sonic amplifier turned towards its healing setting. “Hey, everything’s gonna be okay now. You’re safe.”

 

Brigitte shook her head wildly from side-to-side. She stood up on unsteady legs and stumbled towards where Angela and Satya kneeled next to Hana. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks when she saw the large crimson pool beneath the younger girl’s body. Lúcio slowly came up behind her.

 

“No…” He whispered, his sonic amplifier hanging limply in his hand.

 

The younger girl was brought into a seating position. The front of her shirt–which was once light pink–was completely soaked in blood. Her breathing was slow and imperceptible as she slouched forward, her eyes gently closed.

 

“We need to extract the bullet,” Angela said quickly, reaching into her med kit. With a pair of scissors, she expertly cut a line through the top half of Hana’s shirt so as to have better access to the wound. Battered clothing gave way to smooth pale skin as Angela opened the shirt to expose more of Hana’s skin. What she saw, however, made her pause.

 

“ _Mein Gott…_ ”

 

Before their very eyes, the hole in Hana’s chest slowly closed up as the wound stitched itself back together. With a sickening sound, the bullet slipped out of Hana’s body and rolled harmlessly along the ground, colliding with Brigitte’s shoe.

 

“W-W-What just happened?!” Lúcio asked, his voice rife with fright. Brigitte edged closer to the gamer, her eyes transfixed on the spot between her breasts where the wound used to be.

 

“Regeneration,” Satya said. She carefully wiped away the blood from Hana’s chin, her expression filled with sadness. “It’s one of many abilities gifted to us vampires.”

 

“Vampires?” Brigitte asked. If she hadn’t seen Hana’s injury disappear first hand, she would’ve called the architect nuts.

 

“I shall discuss the matter in greater detail later,” Satya replied. “For now, all I can say is that vampires truly exist.”

 

“It was obviously a shock to me as well,” Angela replied. “But this further testifies the truth. Hana is a vampire now.”

 

It was then that the gamer started to stir. Everyone drew in closer as Hana groggily opened her eyes.

 

“ _Nng_...” She looked at the people surrounding her with half-lidded eyes. “W-Where’s Talon…”

 

“You’re safe now,” Angela replied soothingly, gently placing her hands on Hana’s shoulders. “Let’s get you back inside the base–”

 

Suddenly, the gamer’s eyes widened, a painful gasp escaping her mouth. Her throat throbbed harder than it ever did before, the pain so intense that she felt it throughout her whole body. Hana shoved Angela away as she collapsed onto her side, tightly gripping her neck with both hands. She let out a whimper as her body began to quake.

 

“Hana?! Hana, what’s wrong?!” Brigitte yelled hastily. Images of that time in the infirmary flashed within her mind.

 

Hana curled up into herself as a means of driving away the pain. “M-My throat…! I-It feels like it’s o-on fire…!” She choked back a sob as tears threatened to run down her cheeks. “I...I’m so t-thirsty…”

 

Angela looked frantically towards Satya for guidance.

 

“She requires blood to recover from her injury and heal herself,” the architect said solemnly.

 

The doctor sprang to her feet. “I-I’ll get a blood pack from the infirmary. Lúcio, I need your speed boost, now!” The DJ snapped out of his daze and followed Angela back inside the base, the sounds of his sonic amplifier fading away. Satya quirked an eyebrow at the mechanic, who had remained where she was.

 

“Are you not going to follow them?”

 

Brigitte watched as Hana continued to suffer and tightened her fists. She turned to the architect, her face filled with determination. “Hana’s in pain because...she needs blood, right?”

 

“Correct.”

 

“And since she’s a vampire...that means she’ll have to bite people to get it, right?”

 

Satya slowly nodded. “Feeding directly from humans is what we are most known for, but many of us choose to drink blood indirectly, like from blood packs.”

 

“That’s all I needed to hear.”

 

The Indian woman watched as Brigitte lifted Hana’s body so that the gamer’s face rested against the side of her neck. The tall Swede pulled on the collar of her crew neck, exposing more skin. Hana shuddered as she wrapped her arms around Brigitte’s shoulders. The smell of blood beneath the surface of the mechanic’s taut muscles called out to her like a siren’s song, making her mouth water in anticipation and hunger. Her chest grew heavy as she struggled to breathe. Eyes flickering from their normal brown shade to a glowing crimson, Hana slowly grit her teeth as she felt her canines elongate in her mouth. _She wanted blood_.

 

“Are you sure you wish to do this?” Satya asked, yet she made no move to interfere. “We could always wait for the Doctor to return…”

 

“Hana saved my life tonight,” the mechanic replied. “I’m not going to let her suffer.” With a tender smile, she pressed the younger girl’s face closer to her neck and whispered in her ear.

 

“Drink.”

 

Brigitte flinched when she felt two sharp points dig deep into her skin, then relaxed. The instant the warm, viscous fluid touched Hana’s tongue, the pain in her throat disappeared. She bit back a moan as the liquid coursed down her throat, a delicious nectar that brought strength back to her body. The tremors stopped, allowing Hana to ease herself into the mechanic’s chest. Unable to stop herself, Hana bit down harder as her bloodlust took over. Brigitte wrapped her arms tightly around the smaller girl’s frame as Hana began to feed voraciously, her desperate swallows audible in the quiet night air. Meanwhile, Satya observed the exchange carefully, ready to intervene if the newborn went too far.

 

The three of them stayed as they were for what felt like eons until Hana slowly withdrew her teeth from Brigitte’s skin, her eyes the color of a burning fire. The gamer languidly ran her tongue along the bite marks in the mechanic’s neck, making the woman shiver. Brigitte’s eyes were half-lidded with tiredness as she slouched forward into Hana’s embrace. Hana buried her face into the crook of the mechanic’s neck, her eyes slowly fading back to brown. Her lips curled into a small, sad smile.

 

“Thank you...Brigitte.”


	5. Chapter 5

_Brigitte Lindholm thought she’d never fall in love._

 

_Growing up, she didn’t experience the passion that came with a blossoming attraction for another person. Her friends could go on for hours rambling about their crushes and beloved sweethearts, but the engineer could never share in their excitement. Sure, she found certain people to have attractive qualities, but it was never to the point where she could confidently say that she “liked” or “loved” them. Whenever she’d ask her parents for advice on the issue, they would always wave a hand and say, “Don’t worry, you’ll find somebody you like when you’re older.” But after twenty-three years, Brigitte still didn’t know what love was like. In fact, she had resolved that love just wasn’t for her...that is, until she joined Overwatch._

* * *

_It was a stiflingly hot June when Brigitte and Reinhardt landed on the Watchpoint. The sky was cloudless, allowing the sun’s rays to beat relentlessly upon the earth. The young woman jumped down onto the airfield as soon as the hatch opened, wiping the sweat running down her forehead. When her godfather decided to rejoin Overwatch, she had tried her best to make him rethink things. However, she soon realized that once Reinhardt set his mind on something, it was nigh impossible to change it. Of course, Brigitte wasn’t just going to leave her godfather by himself and so begrudgingly packed her bags for an extended stay on the Overwatch base._

 

_She heard Reinhardt plop down beside her._

 

_“Ah, nothing beats fresh air!” The former crusader exclaimed, skin glistening with a shiny sheen. He moved his head side-to-side so as to jostle some sweat from his face. Brigitte’s eye twitched when a few specks got onto her._

 

_“Hey!” she yelled, pushing him away from her. Reinhardt laughed sheepishly, running a hand through his hair._

 

_“Apologies, hehe…”_

 

_A voice interrupted them. “Is that who I think it is?”_

 

_Reinhardt spun around, eyes lighting up at who he saw._

 

_“Winston, my friend! It’s good to see you again!”_

 

_Winston, the instigator of the Overwatch recall, approached them with a small group of people. For Brigitte, seeing the gorilla walking and talking was like watching a fairy tale come to life. The scientist held out his hand and Reinhardt took it with a firm shake. “Thank you for coming, Reinhardt. You don’t know how happy it makes me to see you here today,” Winston said, a wide smile adorning his lips._

 

_While the two started to catch up, Brigitte saw a familiar face amongst the group that had come to greet her and Reinhardt._

 

_“Angela, is that you?”_

 

_Doctor Ziegler was an old friend of the Lindholms, and Brigitte looked up to her like an older sister ever since she was small. Kind, beautiful, and incredibly gifted, Brigitte saw the doctor as an inspiration and role model. In the few times they had talked recently, she was under the assumption that Angela shared the same sentiments about Overwatch as she did. So why was the doctor even here?_

 

_“Who else could it be?” Angela asked, wrapping her arms around Brigitte for a short hug. “It’s been so long since I last saw you in person.” They separated and she held the engineer at arms’ length, although she had to angle her arms upward to make up for the height difference. “Have you grown taller?”_

 

_The engineer shrugged. “Papa says it’s ‘cause of Mama’s genes…” Brigitte took a step back and crossed her arms. “But Angela, I thought you said you were done with Overwatch?”_

 

_“I was, but Winston convinced me to come.” Her smile faded a bit, and she looked down at the ground for a brief moment. “I also realized that I had to do more…Times are changing, and not for the better. I have to do my part to stop all this conflict.”_

 

_Brigitte nodded, frowning. Although she had her opinions about Overwatch, she couldn’t deny that their goals aligned nicely with her own. She wanted to protect people from harm, and as long as Overwatch provided her an avenue to do that, then she supposed teaming up with the organization wouldn’t be so bad._

 

_The doctor shook her head resolutely. “But let’s not get into depth about that here. Shall I introduce you to our newest recruits?” She waved her arm towards two people behind her, who had been chatting animatedly with one another. “This young man over here is Lúcio, a talented musician who has come under my wing as a medic-in-training.”_

 

_Brigitte had heard stories about the rising celebrity from Reinhardt (who tried to hide the fact that he bought all of the young man’s latest albums), but she never expected that she’d be able to meet him in person. Lúcio ambled up to her with laidback joviality, clad in a tank top and shorts. Despite the sweltering heat, the young man walked with a strong gait, refusing to be slowed down by a little hot weather. He emitted an aura of cheeriness that was punctuated by the springiness of his steps. The engineer felt a bit more optimistic in his presence, like a bit of his energy was transferred to her._

 

_“The name’s Lúcio! As the Doc said, I play a ‘lil music here and there because I wanna make people smile. Lookin’ forward to workin’ together!”_

 

_“Likewise! My name’s Brigitte.” The shorter man extended his fist towards her and she bumped it lightly. She bent forward, jerking a thumb in Reinhardt’s direction. “That guy over there can’t get enough of your music,” the mechanic said, pretending to be inconspicuous by shielding her mouth with the back of her hand._

 

_Lúcio grinned, putting his hands on his hips. “Aw shucks, that makes me real happy! Remind me to send him a copy of my latest album, then. I’ll even leave a nice signature on it!”_

 

_Angela motioned towards the last person in their small group. “And then this is Hana, also known as D.Va. She’s a talented pilot. Go ahead and introduce yourself.”_

 

_The person in question made the breath in Brigitte’s throat hitch. The smaller girl was dressed in an elegant off-shoulder blouse and cargo shorts that accentuated the leanness of her legs. Her hair, similar in color to Brigitte’s, was tied in a neat ponytail. The bright sunlight accentuated the paleness of her skin, casting it in a radiant glow. Although she was small and petite, she walked with an innumerable amount of surety. Brigitte felt her face heat up a bit more._

 

_“Hiya, I’m Hana!” she said, taking Brigitte’s hand excitedly into her own and shaking it. Her smile gave way to a set of shiny white teeth. “I’m a MEKA pilot for the Korean Army! Oh, I used to be a streamer but beating up bad guys has been fun too! Nice to meet you!”_

 

_Brigitte felt something within her chest stir, causing her to gulp instinctively. Her throat suddenly felt a bit constricted._

 

_“I-I’m Brigitte.”_

 

_Both Angela and Lúcio shared a quick look after that stutter, while Hana smiled obliviously and tilted her head to the side._

 

_Before the formalities could be continued, however, both Reinhardt and Winston approached them._

 

_“Brigitte,” Reinhardt barked. “Go on and look around the base, get a feel for the place. I’ll see to it that our things get put into our rooms.”_

 

_Angela and Lúcio shared another look, the two slowly grinning. “Hey, Hana?” Lúcio asked, clapping a hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “How about you show Brig around? Maybe show off that pink mech of yours?” He gave her a wink. The younger girl’s eyes instantly lit up._

 

_“Good idea!” She turned towards the mechanic. “Hey, wanna go check out my mech? It’s my pride and joy. I swear you’ll be blown away!”_

 

_Brigitte felt her heart pick up at the suggestion, both with excitement to see a new piece of tech and with indescribable nervousness. “Uh, okay–AH!” Before Brigitte could finish her sentence, her wrist was quickly ensnared and she was dragged deeper into the base._

 

_Reinhardt smiled appreciatively in their direction as the two moved farther away, noting Hana’s animated chatter even from a distance. The old crusader put his hands on his hips. “I hope those two get along! The small one seems like a nice girl!”_

 

_Angela laughed softly. “I’m sure they will.”_

 

_The grizzled crusader turned on his heel to retrieve his things until he noticed Lúcio standing next to him. “MEIN GOTT–”_

* * *

_After that initial meeting, the two women spent more time together–mostly in part due to Hana’s pestering. The cheery young gamer would always invite her to do things, whether it be playing games all night in her room or going to the nearby town to pet the local cats. Brigitte quickly learned that Hana’s sociable and excitable nature knew no bounds. She found that Hana had a way with people that allowed her to befriend them with just a few words and a smile. In fact, in just a few days, Hana had acquainted herself with everyone on the Overwatch base, and she could be seen talking to different agents every day. Brigitte admired the girl’s brightness and felt happier in her presence. Sometimes, that indescribable feeling from when they first met would resurface, but Brigitte always pushed it back down._

 

_On one particular occasion, Brigitte was doing some work in the weapons workshop when a familiar face showed up._

 

_“Hanging out around here again?” Hana asked, poking her head through the door The pilot had donned a light blue tank top and a pair of white shorts to offset the summer heat, yet her pale features were still flushed with a rosy pink hue. She walked into the room, carrying a tray that was heavily stacked with food and drinks._

 

_Brigitte set her tools aside and flipped up her welding mask, taking a deep breath. Sweat and grime had built upon her face, and her joints ached from being locked in the same position for hours. She had been so engrossed in her task that she didn’t realize just how much time had passed. The mechanic whipped a towel out of her pocket and dabbed her face. “Do you, uh, need help with that?” She asked, eyeing the tray with an eyebrow raised. “Looks heavy.”_

 

_Hana pouted, taking careful steps forward so as not to jostle the contents of the tray around. “I got this, don’t worry about iTTTT!” Just as she said that her foot grazed the top of a wayward screw, causing her to stumble. “Whoa whoa whoa!”_

 

_Tearing her mask from her face, Brigitte jumped up and grabbed the tray before it could fall out of the gamer’s hands. She held onto it with one hand while the other instinctively grabbed onto Hana’s waist, keeping her in place._

 

_“You okay?” Brigitte asked, unconsciously gripping the younger girl’s waste a little tighter. The two of them made eye contact and blinked. Brigitte could feel her face flush when she realized where her hand was. She backed away as quickly as if she had touched a hot stove._

 

_“OH I’m sorry about that–here, let me put this over here…” The engineer grabbed the tray before Hana could object and placed it on a nearby table with an audible thwack. Brigitte took a deep breath, praying that her face wasn’t flushed from that exchange. A second later, Hana ambled up beside her._

 

_“You didn’t show up for lunch today, so I figured I’d see what you were up to,” she said quietly, looking pointedly at the food. Brigitte noticed the tinge of red blossoming on Hana’s cheeks. “I didn’t know what you liked so I brought a bit of everything!” She gestured towards the tray, which was packed with sandwiches, sausages, and an assortment of vegetables. Brigitte rubbed her aching stomach as she surveyed the food._

 

_“Wow, looking at all this food makes me realize just how hungry I am right now.” Her stomach grumbled loudly after she said that, drawing a laugh out of the two of them. “Sorry, I tend to lose track of time when I’m welding,” the engineer replied, chuckling embarrassedly. “But thanks for bringing me all of this.”_

 

_“It’s no big deal,” the gamer replied, smiling sweetly. “Gotta make sure my friends don’t starve, right?” She grinned and picked one of the smaller sandwiches for herself, taking a small bite. “Mm, you have got to try these. Lena made some pretty good sandwiches today.”_

 

_Heeding her words, Brigitte picked up a thick-looking sandwich and took a bite, letting the flavors sink into her tongue. Her tastebuds were immediately hit with the flavors of juicy pastrami, fresh tomatoes, vegetables, and...She felt her throat tingle and she started coughing wildly. Hana hastily ran over to her, handing her a bottle of water._

 

_“Whoa, are you okay?” The younger girl rubbed Brigitte’s back as she continued to cough._

 

_“Yeah, I’m ok–HACK!” Brigitte unscrewed the bottle and took multiple swigs, drinking like she was severely dehydrated._

 

_“What was...in that sandwich…?” Brigitte gasped, bending over with her hands on her knees as she tried to recover._

 

_Hana shrugged. “Typical stuff, like lettuce, tomatoes...oh, and jalapeños!” She took another bite out of her own sandwich, smiling contentedly. “I think the jalapeños really enhance the flavor!”_

 

_Brigitte wiped the wetness of her lips away with the back of her hand. “Uh, spicy food makes me really nauseous…”_

 

_Hana brought her hands to her mouth, eyes agape with horror. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know…”_

 

_The engineer shook her head. “It’s alright, it’s the thought that counts.” She felt her body relax after that coughing spell and she stood up straighter. She emptied the rest of her water bottle into her mouth before she threw it at the nearest trash can. It bounced off the wall and into the bin cleanly._

 

_Hana moved the sandwiches onto a separate plate and pushed the rest of the food towards Brigitte. “Here, I think you’ll love these. They aren’t spicy.”_

 

_Brigitte pretended to eye the sausage suspiciously. “Are you sure?”_

 

_“Why would I lie?”_

 

_Slowly, Brigitte took a bite. Her eyes lit up when the savory flavors hit her tongue. “This is delicious!”_

 

_The younger girl’s worried expression quickly morphed into one of relief. “Right? I think Lúcio brought those in from the market in town the other day. People were practically fighting over those in the mess hall.”_

 

_After confirming that the food was indeed mild, Brigitte took a seat at the table and began to chow down in earnest. While she was busied herself with her meal, Hana worked on her own sandwich, taking a bite every now and then. She sat on the tabletop, kicking her feet up as she recounted the day’s events that Brigitte had missed out on. The mechanic laughed when Hana told her about a particularly exciting arm-wrestling match between Reinhardt and Winston._

 

_The two ate in comfortable silence soon thereafter until the engineer finished eating. Brigitte let out a hearty sigh as she finally put her fork down, eyes gently closed. “I’m stuffed.” The gamer whistled, surveying Brigitte’s empty plate. The only thing that remained was a murky black sauce._

 

_“Whoa, you really inhaled all of that! I didn’t even get the chance to finish my sandwich.” She looked at her half-eaten sandwich and frowned. “Guess I’ll save this for dinner later.”_

 

_After tidying up the table and leftovers, the two moved over to Brigitte’s working station. It wasn’t the first time Hana had come into the workshop to eavesdrop on Brigitte’s latest projects. Once she found out where Brigitte’s talents lie, she asked if she could watch her work. The idea of having an audience made her a bit anxious at first, but Brigitte eventually yielded to the pilot’s entreaty. Since then, Hana would sometimes sit in on Brigitte’s crafting sessions, eyes sparkling as she watched the engineer gave life to new creations._

 

_Hana peered over Brigitte’s shoulder as the older woman sat down to resume her work. “Oh, is that your shield?” The pilot asked, noticing the piece of armor lying in the center of strewn metal and tools. Parts of it had been taken off and replaced with sleeker, shinier metal. Hana bent down to pick up the hefty lion crest, admiring its intricate detail._

 

_The engineer fastened the welding mask securely to her head. “Yeah, it was practically in shambles after we came back from Anubis.” She picked up the shield and knocked on it, nodding appreciatively when she felt its sturdiness. “It’s in pretty good shape right now, but I kinda got swept up in the repairs and lost track of the time. I didn’t even realize that I missed lunch until you stopped by.” Brigitte jabbed her thumb at the empty tray of food with a lopsided grin._

 

_The younger girl laughed, sitting down on an overturned metal bucket. She held onto the lion crest, turning it around in her hands. “You must really love engineering, huh?”_

 

_Brigitte set the shield down onto a workbench and stared at it for a moment. Recollections of the times she tinkered in her father’s workshop flew into her mind. She’d spend hours watching her father perfect his craft, and it wasn’t long before she was taken under his wing. Learning all there was to know about engineering wasn’t easy, but working alongside her father made it all worthwhile. She’d never forget the times her father hoisted her up into the air with raucous praises whenever she completed a new project. Brigitte felt her chest warm up as she recounted those precious memories._

 

_“Yeah, it’s very important to me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without it,” Brigitte replied, putting a hand on top of her heart. She pressed a button on the shield and it expanded, hard-light energy shooting out in all directions. The shield’s luminescent glow bounced off the walls and cast Brigitte’s features in a light blue hue. Suddenly inspired, the engineer picked it up and thrust it in front of her, as if she was braced for combat. A proud smile adorned her lips. “And now I use my talents to help people, wherever I can.” Realizing how silly she may have seemed, Brigitte set the shield down hastily, a tinge of embarrassment coursing through her. “Sorry, that must’ve looked stupid.”_

 

_Hana smiled, jumping up from her seat. “You know,” she began, walking up to the engineer and giving her a light clap on the back. “That side of you is what makes you so interesting.” The pilot held out the lion crest and smiled up at her. “And this lion suits you perfectly; you’re super strong and brave! I think that’s what I love about you the most!”_

 

_It was then that Brigitte felt her heart beat faster. Her face heated up like a clothing iron, and she quickly pulled down the mask so the younger girl couldn’t see her blush. “I, uh, should get back to working on this,” Brigitte muttered, turning away and pretending to do some tweaks to her shield. Hana blinked, tilting her head to the side._

 

_“Oh, I guess you’re still pretty busy, huh?” She asked. “Sorry about that, I’ll go ahead and get out of your way.” The pilot picked up the lunch tray, doing her best not to spill everything. “I’ll be heading back to the kitchen, then! See ya around!” Before she left the room, she stopped dead in her tracks and spun around, eyes sparkling with zeal. “Oh, come stop by my room later! I got this new game the other day and it’s two-player. I’m sure you’re gonna love it! Don’t forget, okay? I’ll be waiting!” With one final wave goodbye and a smile, the girl turned on her heel and left._

 

_Once she was sure that the younger girl was gone, Brigitte flipped up her mask and held her face in her hands. She took a few deep breaths to slow down her racing heart._

 

_‘Is this what I think it is?’_

* * *

The first thing Brigitte noticed when she woke up was how uncomfortable she felt. She moved around, trying to shake some feeling into her numb limbs. The mechanic let out a hiss as her aching muscles sent painful tingles throughout her body. She felt like she was paralyzed beneath a heavy layer of snow that was slowly sapping the strength from her bones. Rubbing the crust from her eyes, she realized she was in her bedroom, buried beneath a load of blankets and pillows. Before she could completely get ahold of her bearings, she heard a loud gasp.

 

“My baby?”

 

Brigitte looked towards the side of her bed where her father sat on a stool, his hands clasped tightly together as he leaned forward onto the bed. His sleepless eyes widened with surprise as he surveyed Brigitte’s waking face.

 

“Papa…? What are you doing here?” Brigitte asked, noting the slight wetness in Torbjörn’s eyes. Shaking his head, Torbjörn reached out and softly patted her head.

 

“Oh, I’m so relieved...Angela said the blood loss was worrisome…”

 

Brigitte yawned, pushing the numerous blankets and pillows out of the way as she stretched. “Blood loss? What are you talking about–” She sucked in a breath as memories of the previous night suddenly rushed into her brain. She remembered going out into the night with Hana, the ambush by Talon, Hana getting hurt, and…

 

Brigitte sprang up from the bed, her hand going to the side of her neck. She ran her fingers over the heavy gauze bandage that lay there, a testament to what had happened. She pressed down a bit more firmly to feel the two indentations in her skin, flinching when she pushed a little too hard. _Hana had bit her...and sucked her blood._ She felt the wound throb as she recounted the feeling of Hana’s fangs digging deeply into her flesh, the feeling of her own blood being drawn out of her body. The mechanic turned towards her father, who regarded the bandage with a seething glare.

 

“Papa, what’s going on? Where’s Hana?” Brigitte asked, face awash with concern.

 

Torbjörn clicked his tongue, crossing his arms. “What happens to that girl is none of your business. You should lay back down and rest some more.”

 

Brigitte frowned, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. “I’m perfectly fine, as you can see. Tell me where she is, I want to see her.”

 

Her father’s visage hardened as he scowled. “That girl is being dealt with by Jack and the others. Hopefully, she gets locked up for a long time. I have no sympathy for a _demon_ who almost killed my daughter!”

 

The mechanic dug her hands into the bed sheets as her fists began to tremble with rage. “Don't you _dare_ call her that,” Brigitte growled. “Hana is...my friend. She’s not a bad person.” Her anger faded away as memories of last night continued to flow into her mind. Tears sprang into her eyes as she visualized Hana’s lifeless form crumpled on the ground after she had been shot. “If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve been killed…” A sob wracked her body and she put her face in her hands, sniffling. Torbjörn’s sternness melted away as he drew closer to his daughter, wrapping his arms around her. Brigitte turned into his embrace, holding him tightly.

 

“Papa, I’ve never been so scared in my entire life,” Brigitte whispered. Her near-death experience made her chest grow heavy with an onset of dread and anxiousness. She removed herself from the hug to stare into her father’s eyes, gripping tightly onto his forearms. “It’s only because of Hana that I’m alive. S-She jumped in front of me and took the bullet that was meant for me.” Torbjörn drew in a shocked breath but said nothing.

 

Brigitte continued. “Seeing her body lying there in a pool of blood...It felt like the world was crumbling down around me.”

 

“Believe me, child,” Torbjörn said, his features etched with sadness. “I know what that’s like.”

 

The younger mechanic nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. “When...when I realized what Hana had become, I thought I could help her.” She placed her hand atop the bandage again, running her fingers slowly against it. “She was in so much pain...so I let her drink my blood. I let her bite me, Papa.”

 

Torbjörn let out a heavy sigh. “And you could’ve been in serious trouble if she...didn’t stop.”

 

“But she did! And now I’m here with you, safe and sound.” She hugged her father again. As she relaxed in her father’s arms, she remembered when Hana had finally dislodged herself from her neck after having had her fill with her blood. The younger girl had whispered something into her ear during that time.

 

_‘Thank you...Brigitte.’_

 

The younger girl’s voice had sounded so broken and sorrowful that the memory of it instantly filled Brigitte with extreme worry. She had to make sure Hana was okay.

 

“Papa, please,” Brigitte begged imploringly. “Tell me where Hana is. I need to see her.”

 

Torbjörn looked towards the floor, his expression conflicted. After a few moments, he finally looked up and said, “Holding cell 21-A. She’s being held there.”

 

Brigitte jumped to her feet. Her head reeled from the sudden movement but she brushed it off. She rummaged through her closet and dressed up as quickly as she could, her heart thumping in anticipation. Once she was done, she bent down and pecked her father on the cheek. “Thank you, Papa!”

 

After his daughter had gone, Torbjörn slowly sat on the bed, a forlorn smile on his face. “I just wanted to protect you…”

* * *

Satya breathed in deeply as she sat quietly on the cot, her eyes closed in concentration as she meditated. The holding cell that she was kept in was small, but not excruciatingly so. The white walls were free from muck or grime, and her bedsheets felt soft beneath her. The Indian woman focused on the feeling of air coursing through her lungs, a sense of tranquility washing over her. After the previous night’s events, it was insisted that she stay inside the cell as the situation was properly assessed. Satya had complied easily, knowing exactly what the other agents needed to “assess.” She was at least grateful that they didn’t tie her up.

 

The door to the cell suddenly slid open, the sound prompting her to open one eye to look inquisitively at her visitor. “Ah, hello, Captain Amari.”

 

Ana Amari walked into the room, dressed in a loose brown sweater and jeans. Strapped to her waist was her trusty sidearm, the yellowish fluid reflecting the light of the room.

 

“Good day, Satya,” Ana replied, mouth set in a firm line. “I see you’ve been meditating.”

 

Satya closed her eyes again, taking in another breath of air. “It gives me peace of mind, especially in a tense situation such as this.” The Indian woman took note of Ana’s hardened look. “Tell me, Captain, what happens now?”

 

“I’m taking you in for questioning. You’re not in any sort of trouble if that’s what you’re worried about. We just need your... _expertise_ in this specific situation.” She dug a hand into her back pocket and pulled out a pair of cuffs. Instead of cuffing Satya on the spot, however, she instead twirled the cuffs around her finger. “Normally I’m supposed to snap these around your wrists right now. However, we’ve been fighting together for a good while now, and I know you are someone who can be trusted. Let’s keep it that way.” The older woman smiled, putting the cuffs back into her pocket. She patted the younger woman lightly on the back. “Follow me.” Turning on her heel, she moved towards the door. After a momentary pause, Satya trailed after her.

 

The two women walked out of the containment area and into the base lobby. The place was deadly silent with no one to be seen, but as they walked into another corridor, the Indian woman could’ve sworn she felt eyes tracking her as she passed various doors. After a short while, Ana stopped them in front of the commander’s office. The old woman opened the door and held it open, gesturing for Satya to go inside. Nodding, the architect entered the room.

 

Commander Morrison sat at a desk on the other side of the room, flanked on both sides by Angela and Winston. The three of them were talking quietly until they noticed Satya’s entrance. Jack leaned forward in his chair, resting his hands atop the desk. Behind him was a large window that gave way to the starry night sky outside.

 

“Agent Symmetra, we’ve been expecting you,” the old man said. He gestured towards a set of chairs in front of him. “Please, take a seat.”

 

Satya did as she was told, picking the seat that was directly in front of the commander. Angela came around and sat in the seat beside her. The Indian woman felt her eyes widen in surprise as she felt the doctor’s hand take one of her own. On her other side, Ana also took a seat, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. Winston remained where he was, his hands clasped together behind his back.

 

“Let me debrief you on what’s happened,” Jack began. “Last night at about 2200 hours, Talon agents infiltrated the base: Widowmaker and Sombra. We’ve determined that their objective was to steal the blueprints for the weapon you’ve been developing with the Lindholms. Sombra hacked into Athena’s database and located sections of the plan that were stored in Brigitte’s cell phone.”

 

Satya nodded her head as she absorbed the news.

 

“The two Talon operatives ambushed both Brigitte and Hana, stealing the plans and critically wounding Hana in the process.” The weathered soldier paused, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. “Which brings us to our current discussion.” Satya felt the doctor’s hand grip hers a little tighter.

 

“What the hell are you and Hana?”

 

The Indian woman couldn’t help but chuckle darkly. “If last night’s events weren’t indicative of what we are, then what more must I tell you to convince you otherwise, Commander?”

 

Jack huffed, leaning back into his chair. He picked up a folder that was sitting atop his desk. The front of the cover had _HANA SONG_ stamped on it with big, red letters. Jack waved the folder in his hand.

 

“Based on these files, Hana was always a rather healthy girl,” Jack said. “No sicknesses, no genetic abnormalities, no disabilities...She’s had no major injuries that required critical care. Not only that, but out of everyone in this base, she’s visited the infirmary the least. You could say she’s had a perfect health record. However,” he threw the folder back onto the desk, his mouth set in a firm line. “That all changed after the Ilios mission one week prior from yesterday.” He looked at Angela, spurring her to speak.

 

“At the end of the Ilios mission, Hana was found critically wounded. Her neck was slit and she lost over twenty percent of her blood volume. I did what I could, but even I didn’t know if she was going to make it.” Angela held a hand to her chest as she looked at the floor. “She laid comatose for days until she finally woke up two nights ago, a little bit before midnight. That’s when she started to display some...peculiar behaviors.”

 

Winston’s eyes grew wide with concern and a little bit of intrigue. “Behaviors?” Everyone in the room stared intently at the doctor.

 

“Yes. I was fortunately awake when I heard her wake up. When I turned on the lights, she began to convulse, almost as if the light pained her.”

 

Ana’s eyebrow quirked up. “Couldn’t you just chalk that up as her eyes not being used to the light?”

 

“That’s what I thought too, so I didn’t think much about it at the time. But now I think it's something that we shouldn't overlook. Anyways, we talked for a bit and I gave her a cup of water.”

 

“Please, continue,” Satya replied, making mental notes of everything that Angela was saying.

 

“I visited her the next morning. She told me that she hadn’t been able to fall asleep. Shortly thereafter, she collapsed onto the bed in pain, saying that…that she was thirsty.” A heavy silence enveloped the room as they digested that last part.

 

“I gave her some water and we did some physical check-ups. I was going to redress her bandages when I found out that her wound had completely healed. There was no proof that it was even there.”

 

“You sure that staff of yours didn’t have anything to do with it?” Jack asked, pointing to the stick that was leaning against the wall. The doctor shook her head.

 

“My staff doesn’t mend wounds, but rather helps alleviate the pain of them. I stitched up Hana’s wound myself.”

 

Satya wasn’t surprised by the list of symptoms that Angela was listing off, but she could clearly feel the growing tension of the other occupants in the room as the doctor kept speaking. Jack’s eyebrows were pinched together, his fingers locked together in front of his face. Winston twiddled his thumbs nervously as he looked around the room. As for Ana, she had moved her hands onto the armrest and gripped them tightly, her mouth curved downward into a contemplative frown.

 

“The fact that the wound disappeared like that didn’t sit right with me, so I locked myself up in my office to figure things out,” Angela said. It was then that she looked into Satya’s eyes. “That’s when Satya came to me.”

 

Jack lowered his hands. “Tell us everything that you told Angela.”

 

The architect didn’t lower her gaze from the commander’s as she began to speak. “I encountered Hana loitering around my room early yesterday morning, and I knew then that she had changed. I didn’t know how far she was in the transition, and I did not want to risk the possibility of people getting hurt. Thus, I approached Dr. Ziegler in order to warn her and prepare for what was to come.”

 

“You mean the possibility of her...attacking people?” Ana asked. Satya shook her head.

 

“That’s part of it, yes. However, I was speaking more in terms of how the transformation would affect her, both physically and mentally.” Satya blinked, a thought occurring to her. “By the way, where is Hana now?”

* * *

_Monaco, Venice_

 

“Here you go, boss,” Sombra said, slapping a drive onto the table. “I’ve transferred all the relevant files here.”

 

A large hand took the tiny drive delicately between its fingers, turning it this way and that. The hand’s owner smiled. “Excellent work, Sombra,” Doomfist said. He stood up, handing the drive to Sanjay Korpal, who was sitting across from him. “Have your team take a look at that, see what we can do with it.”

 

“Of course,” Sanjay said, smirking as he slipped the drive into a pocket inside his coat.

 

Doomfist looked around the room into every inner councilmembers’ eyes. “I thank you all for coming to the meeting tonight. Please take note of the missions I’ve assigned to you and carry them out accordingly. Failure is infeasible.” He picked up a glass of wine, raising it up before taking a sip. “You are all dismissed.”

 

Sombra turned on her heel to leave with the councilmembers when she heard someone call her name. Turning around, she bit the inside of her mouth to bite back her scowl.

 

“Sombra,” Moira said, smiling. “Care to join me for a little stroll?”

 

Sombra shook her head. “Sorry, I’ve got things to do so I’m gonna go ahead and–” Her sentence was cut off when she felt long fingers wrap around her shoulder. Sharp fingernails dug lightly into the less padded areas of her coat.

 

“Don’t worry, it won’t take too long,” Moira said, pulling the smaller woman alongside her. “Come.”

 

The two walked out into the large expansive courtyard of the Venice headquarters. All around them sat large, sculpted bushes and beautiful rose flower beds. A fountain sat directly in the center, reflecting the round shape of the moon in its waters. The gaunt scientist led her to a hidden alcove nestled between two tall bushes. The alcove was conveniently shielded by the shadow of an overhanging rooftop, making it nearly imperceptible. Moira crossed her arms as she regarded the hacker.

 

“So, how is my little pet doing? Is she faring well?”

 

Sombra shrugged, feigning disinterest. “I dunno, I didn’t see her.”

 

At that, the scientist frowned. “I thought I told you to check up on her.”

 

“Yeah, well, you’re forgetting that the base is full of fuckin’ soldiers! Can’t really sneak in there for a little chat unless I wanna get my ass thrown into a cell!”

 

Moira pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. “And here I thought you were competent. I suppose that was false.”

 

Eyes going red, the hacker couldn’t stop herself from rearing her hand back. Before she could slap the scientist in the face, she felt her hand stop dead in its tracks as long, spindly fingers wrapped tightly around her wrist.

 

“Now, now, let’s not resort to violence,” Moira said calmly, her own eyes burning crimson. She threw the hacker’s hand down. “We are, after all, one of the same.”

 

Sombra grabbed the scientist by the collar, getting in close to her face. “I am not like you.”

 

“Oh? That’s rich, coming from a street rat who manipulates and murders people to get her way.”

 

The smaller woman pushed Moira away, eyes fading back to a normal color. “I know I’m not a good person,” Sombra began. “But at least I have a decent enough heart to know that what you did was fucked up.” With that, she activated her translocator and disappeared.

 

Moira stayed where she was, looking up at the starry sky in contemplation. After a while, she smirked, her eyes glinting dangerously. She dialed a few quick numbers onto a device in her wrist. The device beeped for a bit before someone started speaking.

 

 _“You have need of me?”_ came the accented voice of Widowmaker.

 

“Yes...how would you like a new mission?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, it's been awhile. I'm sorry that it's taken so long to come out with this latest chapter, I've been pretty preoccupied with school and life in general, so it's been difficult to find the time and energy to write. But rest assured, I don't plan on giving up on this story, not in the slightest. See ya next time!


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